Columbia  (Bntoergftp 

mtijeCitpofJtogork 

THE  LIBRARIES 


GEORGE  THE   THIRD, 


HIS  COURT, 


AND   FAMILY. 


LONDON . 
PRINTED  BY  S.    &    R.  BENTLEY,    DORSET-STREET,    SALISBURY-SQUARE. 


hi.-.    .  ia.i  h.vrr 
(i   E  DEGE        III- 

I.okX     MA3    2*,  L738.  OS. _I»IED   JAM.  29.    L620. 


GEORGE  THE  THIRD 


HIS  COURT 


AND    FAMILY. 


"  HIS    LIFE    A    LESSON    TO    THE    LAND    HE    SWAYED." 


A  NEW  EDITION. 
IN     TWO     VOLUMES. 


VOL.   I. 


LONDON : 
HENRY  COLBURN  AND  CO. 

PUBLIC    LIBRARY,     CONDUIT    STREET,     HANOVER    SQUARE. 

1,821. 


/ 


PREFACE. 


To  record  the  Important  National  Events,  fo- 
reign and  domestic,  of  the  long  and  varied  Reign 
of  George  the  Third,  must  remain  a  task  for 
the  pen  of  History,  when  passion  and  prejudice 
shall  be,  in  some  measure,  extinct,  and  when 
Truth  shall  alone  he  sought  for  and  investigated, 
in  the  public  and  private  documents  of  Britain, 
and  of  her  potent  rivals. 

But  the  pen  of  Biography,  independent  of  the 
impulse  of  general  curiosity  which  calls  it  in- 
stantly into  exercise,  must  seek  and  arrange  its 
materials  upon  the  spur  of  the  moment,  whilst 
minor  and  more  minute  events  are  floating  on  the 
stream  of  living  recollection,  ere  they  pass  into 
the  ocean  of  forgetfulness. 

It  is  to  Biography  that  History  owes  those  ac- 
cessories which  not  only  unite,  but  often  illustrate, 
the  greater  events  which  she  finds,  though  accu- 
rately recorded,  yet  imperfectly  connected  with 
the  individuals  who  have  been  the  most  powerful, 


V1  PREFACE. 

though  not  apparently  the  most  active  agents  in 
their  developement. 

In  this  point  of  view,  Truth  must  be  the  first 
object  of  the  Biographer,  and  has  been  so  through- 
out the  preparation  of  the  following  Work,  dur- 
ing a  course  of  many  years'  close  observation  and 
sedulous  research  antecedent  to  the  lamented 
event  which  has  permitted  its  presentation  to 
public  notice. 

To  invest  with  chronological  precision  accu- 
racy of  statement,  an  annual  division  has  been 
resorted  to  in  connexion  with  that  of  Sections. 
Every  possible  source  of  information,  verbal  or 
written,  has  been  consulted  ;  and  it  has  been 
preferred  in  several  instances,  rather  to  insert 
observations  and  reflections  entire,  than  to  incur 
the  charge  of  plagiarism  by  a  mere  change  of  Ian 
guage.  In  fact,  whoever  undertakes  a  work  of 
this  nature,  and  wishes  to  preserve  the  spirit  of 
the  era  which  he  describes,  must  feel  rather  as  the 
Editor  than  the  Author,  whilst  availing  himself 
of  that  information  which  lies  scattered  before 
him  in  his  varied  research. 

In  the  following  pages,  those  national  events 
in  which  our  revered  Sovereign  was  personally, 


PREFACE.  Vll 


or  rather  individually,  engaged,  have  been  prin- 
cipally regarded ;  but  political  discussions  have 
been  generally  avoided,  except  where  particu- 
larly and  personally  called  for — and  even  there, 
Impartiality  and  Candour,  it  is  hoped,  will  be 
found  to  have  guided  the  pen;  though  it  must 
be  acknowledgd  there  are  points  on  which  im- 
partiality would  almost  cease  to  be  a  virtue — or 
at  least  where  silence  would  have  implied  a 
dereliction  of  duty. 

Finally — if  in  future  times  the  question  shall 
be  asked  "  How  did  Britain  preserve  her  moral, 
as  well  as  her  political,  empire,  amidst  the  wreck 
of  nations  ? "  it  is  hoped  the  present  work  will  be 
found  to  have  contributed  somewhat  towards  fur- 
nishing a  reply,  by  its  illustration  of  the  Private 
Life  and  Domestic  Virtues  of 

GEORGE  THE  THIRD. 


Erratum. 
In  page  328,  vol.  I.  for  24-th,  line  3,  read  29th  of  September. 


CONTENTS. 


VOL.  I. 


SECTION  I. 

Introduction.  Anecdotes  of  the  Brunswick  Family  and  ac- 
cession. Advantages  thence  resulting.  Line  of  family 
descent.  Anecdotes  of  George  I.  Of  George  II.  Of  Fre- 
derick Prince  of  Wales,  &c.  &c.  &c.  Demise  and  Cha- 
racter of  Queen  Caroline.  Birth  of  Prince  George.  1738  _/ 
Page  1—73. 

SECTION  II.  / 

Royal  baptism.  Public  address.  Domestic  anecdotes.  Anec- 
dotes of  infancy.  Royal  reconciliation.  Political  arrange- 
ments. Downfal  of  Walpole.  Further  anecdotes  of  George 
II.  Early  genius  of  the  Prince.  Commencement  of  edu- 
cation. Religious  and  constitutional  principles.  Curious 
anecdotes  of  the  Pretender.  Patriotic  conduct  of  the  Prince 
and  Princess  of  Wales.  Anecdotes  of  education.  Dramatic 
representations.  Entrance  into  public  life.  Courtly  patron- 
age of  literature.  Character  and  anecdotes  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales.  His  death.  Its  consequences.  Prince  George 
created  Prince  of  Wales,  as  heir-apparent.  Anecdotes  of 
the  Princess  Dowager.     Political   education.     Lord  Bute. 


x  CONTENTS. 

Domestic  anecdotes.  Mr.  Pitt.  Prince  comes  of  age.  En- 
couragement of  native  manufactures  by  the  court  at  Lei- 
cester House.  Anecdotes  of  Walpole.  Anecdotes  of  Handel. 
Sailing-matches  patronized.  Royal  visits  to  the  principal 
manufactories  in  Spitalfields,  &c.  Anecdotes  of  Glover 
and  Bp.  Newton.  British  Fishery  Company  patronized. 
Death  and  character  of  George  II.  Accession  of  George 
III— 1700 Page  74— 197. 

SECTION  III. 

Measures  of  the  new  King.  Appropriate  conduct  in  council 
and  at  court.  Patriotic  declarations.  Proclamation  and 
addresses.  Domestic  arrangements.  Parliamentary  anec- 
dotes. Theatrical  and  courtly  anecdotes.  Matrimonial 
arrangements.  Popular  feelings.  Lord  Bute.  Royal  ora- 
tory. Quin.  Constitutional  conduct.  Judges.  Literary 
and  political  anecdotes.  Matrimonial  treaty.  Anecdotes 
and  character  of  the  Princess  of  Mecklenburgh  Strelitz. 
Royal  marriage.  Anecdotes.  Coronation.  Visit  of  the 
Pretender.  Pitt  resigns.  Royal  visit  to  the  City  on  Lord 
Mayor's-day.  Domestic  arrangements.  Encouragement 
of  learning,  and  of  nautical  discovery.  Birth  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales.  General  peace.  Public  discontent,  and  state  of 
parties.  Wilkes.  Courtly  reforms.  American  question, 
and  royal  opinions.  Anecdotes  of  benevolence.  Whimsi- 
cal petitions.  Alarming  indisposition.  Princess  Dowager. 
Princess  Caroline,  Queen  of  Denmark.  Rousseau.  John- 
son. Warburton.  Court  mournings  shortened,  and  encou- 
ragement of  British  manufactures.  American  war.  En- 
couragement of  art  and  science.  Party  politics.  Lord 
North.  Civic  anecdotes.  Quarrel  and  convention  with 
Spain.  Close  of  1770 Page  198—377. 

SECTION  IV. 

Education  of  royal  offspring.     Change  of  preceptors.    Courtly 
and    political   anecdotes.      Voyages  of  discovery.     Cook 


CONTENTS.  xi 

and  Banks.    Revolution   in  Denmark.    Death   of  Princess 
Dowager    of  Wales.     Anecdotes   and    character.     Royal 
Marriage  Bill.     Royal  attention  to  public  decorum.     Do- 
mestic anecdotes  and  arrangements.     Expedition  to  North 
Pole.    Royal  visit  to  dock-yards.     Literary  condescension 
and   encouragement.      Dr.  Beattie.     Sir  Joshua  Reynolds.  • 
Foundation  of  Royal  Academy.    Style  of  royal  life  in  the 
country.    Favourite  royal  studies.     Mental   improvement 
of  the  royal  progeny.     Royal   anecdotes.     Disputes  with 
the  Corporation  of  London.    Conspiracy  against  the  King. 
North-west  passage,  and    proposed  voyage.     Change    of 
princely  preceptors.    Proposed   literary    order  of  knight- 
hood.   Arrangement    and    increase    of  civil   list.     Assault 
of  a  maniac.     Parliamentary  provision  for  the    younger 
branches.     Naval   reviews  at  Chatham,    Portsmouth,  &c. 
Domestic   anecdotes.       Military    reviews.      Anecdotes  of 
Garrick,    &c.      Charitable   exertions.       Curious    political 
anecdotes  of  Pitt  and  Bute.    Royal  feelings  towards  Ire- 
land.   Conduct  towards  Reynolds.     Theatrical  anecdotes. 
Ditto  of  Howard.    Ditto  of  the  Sovereign.     Riots  of  1780. 
Anecdotes  of  Sir  George  Saville.     Meritorious   and  spi- 
rited conduct  of  the  King.    Sunday-schools.     Anecdotes 
of  the  Queen.    Close  of  1780 Page  378— 477. 


VOL.  II. 

SECTION  V. 

First  appearance  of  Pitt  and  Sheridan.  Political  firmness  of 
the  King.  Royal  attention  to  military  services.  Strict  re- 
gard to  promises.  Episcopal  anecdote.  Naval  visit  to  the 
Nore.  Foreign  education  of  the  younger  branches.  Ex- 
traordinary activity  and  temperance  of  the  King.  Resig- 
nation of  Lord  North.      Royal  feelings  at  the  conduct  of 


xii  CONTENTS. 

new  ministry,  and  at  Burke's  Bill.  Encouragement  of 
science.  Anecdotes  of  Herschel.  General  peace.  Anec- 
dote of  royal  forbearance.  Franklin.  Adams.  Coalition 
of  North  and  Fox.  Coalition  anecdotes.  Short  ministry  of 
twenty-four  hours.  Prince's  debts.  Mental  effects  of  po- 
litical squabbles.  Royal  sufferings  from  the  coalition. 
India  Bill.  Royal  anecdotes  of  ditto.  Anecdotes  of  Fox. 
Pitt  comes  into  power.  Parliamentary  Anecdotes.  Great 
Seal  stolen.  Commemoration  of  Handel.  Civil  list  arrears, 
Restoration  of  forfeited  estates.  Improvements  at  Rich- 
mond and  Windsor.  Familiar  visit  to  Egham  races,  Anec- 
dotes. Royal  visit  to  Oxford.  Inclement  winter,  and  royal 
charities,  interesting  anecdote  of  benevolence.  Courtly 
anecdotes.  Royal  patronage  of  Mrs.  Siddons  and  Mrs.  Bil- 
lington.  Courtly  baptism.  Embarrassments  and  manly 
conduct  of  heir-apparent.  Affair  of  Hastings.  Diamond 
anecdote.  Attempted  assassination.  Margaret  Nicholson. 
Royal  fortitude  and  mercy.  Parallel  case  of  Queen 
Elizabeth.  Second  visit  to  Oxford.  Archduke  and 
Duchess  of  Austria  visit  Windsor.  Peter  Pindar.  Royal 
attention  to  West  India  colonies.  Bread  fruit-tree  trans- 
planted. Royal  letters  on  agriculture.  Visit  to  Whit- 
bread's  brewery.  Proclamation  against  immorality. 
Dangerous  accident.  Anecdotes  of  Bishop  Hurd,  Lord 
Eldon,  &c.  Dr.  Maclaine.  Curious  literary  anecdote. 
Visit  to  Cheltenham.  Visit  to  Worcester.  Triennial 
meeting  of  the  choirs.  Anecdotes.  Royal  illness.  Poli- 
tical anecdotes.  Royal  recovery.  Royal  devotions.  Ge- 
neral thanksgiving.  Fete  at  Windsor.  Public  demon- 
strations of  joyful  loyalty.  Procession  to  St.  Paul's. 
Celebration  of  recovery  in  Germany.  Royal  birth-day. 
Courtly  Anecdotes.'  Judge  Hardinge.  Visit  to  Wey- 
mouth. Anecdotes  of  tour.  Anecdotes  of  residence. 
Royal  familiarity  and  condescension.  Rural  excursions. 
Naval  and  military  reviews.  Nautical  anecdotes  of 
royal   family.     Yankee  impertinence  rebuked.     Visit  to 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

Plymouth.  Travelling  anecdotes.  Threatening  letters, 
and  royal  fortitude.  Assault  in  proceeding  to  Parlia- 
ment. First  mail-coach  procession.  Royal  attention  to 
arts  and  literature.  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds.  Mr.  West. 
General  view  of  royal  domestic,  and  political  character. 
Illustrative  anecdotes.  General  conduct  of  the  Queen. 
Effects  of  royal  conduct  on  general  society.  Anecdotes, 
courtly,  literary,  scientific,  domestic,  and  political.  Ditto 
of  Lord  Liverpool;  Bishop  Watson;  royal  dedications; 
presents  to  public  societies;  agriculture,  botany,  &c.  &c. 
&c— Close  of  1790 Page  1—213. 

SECTION  VI. 

Repeated  assaults  of  maniacs.  Visit  to  Weymouth.  Royal 
importation  of  Merinos.  Nuptials  of  the  Duke  of  York. 
Courtly  etiquette  observed  in  family  visits.  French  revo- 
lution. Death  of  Pretender.  Royal  liberality.  Chinese 
embassy.  Royal  intentions  respecting  ditto.  Anecdotes 
of  royal  benevolence.  Handsome  conduct  towards  the 
Guards.  Embarkation  of  troops  for  continental  service. 
Royal  visit  to  Greenwich.  Botanical  anecdotes.  Mr. 
Aiton.  War  with  France.  Elected  King  of  Corsica  on  1st 
June.  Visit  to  Spithead.  Naval  anecdotes.  Lord  Howe. 
Treasonable  conspiracies.  Nuptials  of  Prince  of  Wales. 
Royal  charities.  Assault  whilst  proceeding  to  Parlia- 
ment. Affair  of  Kyd  Wake.  Royal  fortitude.  Charac- 
teristic anecdotes.  Anecdote  of  clerical  addresses.  Fur- 
ther insults  and  assaults.  Eton  montem.  Libels.  King's 
consistent  and  spirited  conduct  respecting  negotiations  for 
peace.  South  Sea  presents.  Anecdotes  of  art.  Sir  Wil- 
liam Beechey.  London  addresses  and  disputes  respecting 
petitioning.  Nuptials  of  Princess  Royal.  Political  anec- 
dotes. Secession  of  the  Whigs  from  Parliament.  Volun- 
teer reviews.  Visit  to  North  Sea  fleet.  Naval  mutiny. 
Thanksgiving  for  victories.  Procession  to  St.  Paul's. 
Irish  rebellion.     Seditious   meetings.     Fox  struck  off  the 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 

list  of  privy  councillors.  Orange  family.  Anecdotes. 
Volunteer  review  in  Hyde  Park.  Circuit  of  military  re- 
view round  the  metropolis.  Volunteer  reviews  at  Wim- 
bledon and  Maidstone.  Lord  Romney.  Excursion  to 
Weymouth.  Naval  anecdotes  of  royalty.  Military  re- 
views. Domestic  habits  of  royalty  at  Weymouth.  Re- 
view in  Hyde  Park.  Alarming  accident.  Visit  to  theatre. 
Hadfield  fires  at  the  King.  Royal  fortitude,  and  judi- 
cious conduct.  Public  feelings.  Birth-day  and  grand 
volunteer  review.  Union  of  the  empire.  Epistle  from 
Buonaparte  as  First  Consul.  Visit  to  Weymouth  in 
1S0O.  Royal  anecdotes,  Curious  anecdote  of  an  Ame- 
rican quaker.  King's  fondness  for  Princess  Charlotte. 
Military  and  naval  reviews.  Catholic  emancipation,  and 
royal  sentiments.     Violent  illness.     Close  of  1800 


.Page  214—315. 


SECTION  VII. 

Royal  recovery  and  birth-day.  Visit  to  Weymouth  in  1801. 
Domestic  anecdotes.  Peace  of  Amiens.  Royal  anec- 
dotes respecting  it.  Courtly  baptism.  Maltese  anecdote. 
Clerical  anecdotes.  Dean  Vincent.  Residence  at  Wind- 
sor. Private  life  of  the  King.  Gothic  improvements  in 
Windsor  Castle.  Improvements  at  Kew  and  Richmond, 
War  with  France.  British  patriotism.  National  exer- 
tions. Grand  volunteer  reviews  in  1803.  Interferes  with 
Royal  Academic  disputes.  Royal  correspondence  respect- 
ing Prince  of  Wales's  military  service.  Illness.  Anec- 
dotes of  mercy.  Royal  tour  to  Weymouth.  Various  il- 
lustrative royal  anecdotes.  Attention  to  the  comforts  and 
discipline  of  the  army.  Imperial  letter  of  Buonaparte. 
Fete  at  Windsor  Castle.  Installation  of  the  Garter. 
Characteristic  anecdotes.  Princess  of  Wales  at  Windsor. 
Visit  to  Chelsea.  Trip  to  Weymouth,  with  numerous 
characteristic  anecdotes.  Death  of  the  Duke  of  Glou- 
cester.    Death  of  Pitt  and  Fox.     Domestic  life  at  Wind- 


CONTENTS.  xv 

sor  Castle.  Catholic  question.  Royal  resolution  and  con- 
sistency. Ministerial  changes.  Extinction  of  the  royal 
line  of  Stuart.  War  with  America.  Kindness  to  exiled 
family  of  France.  Spanish  revolution.  Present  of  me- 
rinos from  the  Junta.  Affair  of  delicate  investigation. 
Charges  against  the  Duke  of  York.  Demi-centenary  ju- 
bilee of  royal  reign.  Civic  disputes  respecting  addresses. 
Royal  residence  and  anecdotes  at  Windsor.  Death  of 
Princess  Amelia.  Parental  conduct  of  his  Majesty, 
Final  illness.  Contest  of  parties.  Regency  established. 
Close  of  1810 Page  316—396. 

SECTION  VUI. 

Ceremonial  of  Regency.  Progress  of  royal  disorder.  Political 
arrangements.  Magnanimous  conduct  of  the  Prince  Re- 
gent. Hopes  of  recovery.  Medical  and  political  anec- 
dotes. Hopes  of  recovery  relinquished.  Personal  anec- 
dotes. Mental  and  bodily  state  of  royal  sufferer.  Death 
of  the  Queen.    Royal  demise     Page  397.— 444. 


INDEX,   Page  445. 


PLATES. 


VOL.  I. 

King  George  the  Third Tofuce  the  Title 

King  George  the  Fourth  p.  288 

Duke  of  Clarence  319 

Duke  ofKent  341 

Princess  Augusta  Sophia  347 

Duchess  of  Hesse  Homberg  374 

Duke  of  Cumberland 384 

Duke  of  Cambridge  424 

Duchess  of  Gloucester   440 

Princess  Sophia « 449 

c 

VOL.  II. 

Queen  Charlotte     To  face  the  Title 

Prince  Alfred 13 

Prince  Octavius 30 

Duke  of  York 216 

Duke  of  Sussex  237 

Queen  of  Wirtemburgh 271 

Princess  Amelia 388 

Princess  Charlotte  and  Prince  Leopold    416 


GEORGE  THE  THIRD. 


HIS  COURT,  AND   FAMILY, 


SECTION  I. 


Introductory  Remarks  —  Anecdotes  of  Brunswick  Family, 
and  Accession  —  Advantages  thence  resulting  — -  Line  of 
Family  Descent — Anecdotes  of  George  I. — George  II. — 
of  Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  fyc.  §c.  fyc. — Demise, 
Anecdotes,  and  Character  of  Queen  Caroline — Birth  of 
Prince  George — 1738. 

Britain,  once  more  in  tears,  has  now  to  lament 
the  most  venerable  and  venerated  Monarch  that 
ever  sat  upon  her  throne,  either  in  her  former 
divided,  or  her  more  recent  united,  state.  Scarce 
an  eye  now  weeps  for  him,  that  did  not  first 
open  to  the  blaze  of  day  amidst  the  splendour 
of  his  reign — not  a  heart  throbs  with  regret  for 
his  loss,  that  has  not  to  attribute  the  gratification 
and  security  of  its  best  affections,  to  the  pater- 
nal care,  and  patriotic  resolution,  of  that  Monarch, 

VOL.  I.  b 


Z  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

in    his    spirited   and    persevering    opposition  to 
the  introduction    of  principles    subversive  of  all 
domestic  happiness  and  tranquillity.     Through  a 
life  extended  to  the    age    of  eighty -two,    and  a 
reign  of  sixty  years,  he  gave  a  glorious  example 
of  public  worth  and  of  private  virtue.     His  whole 
time,  from  the  age  of  twenty-two,  down  to  the  la- 
mented period  when  seclusion  became  imperative, 
was   spent  either  in  the  severe  and  exemplary 
discharge  of  his  public  duties  of  every  description, 
or  in  the  bosom  of  his  family  amidst  domestic 
sources   of  enjoyment.     To  this,  it  is  added  by 
the  pen  of  one,   not  an  inaccurate  observer  of  the 
events  "  of  his  own  time,"  that  in  his  agricultural 
occupations,  or  when  engaged  in  the  diversions  of 
the  field,  he  was  seen  often  by  the  few  who,  from 
their  official  situations  or  dignity,  had  access  to 
his  person ;  but  he  was  rarely  found  in  splendid 
assemblies,    or   at  festive  entertainments,  where 
beauty,  rank,  and  pleasure,  might  have  familiarized 
him  more  with  the  world,  and,  equallizing  him  in 
some  measure  with  his  guests,  have  presented  him 
to  their  view  divested  of  the  forms  and  reserve  of 
royalty.     Even  when  a  young  man,  he  never  fre- 
quented masquerades,  then  so  much  in  fashion ;  nor 
ever  engaged  in  play ;  and,  in  fact,  never  manifest- 
ed any  wish  to  spend  his  evenings  in  such  society 
as,  on  a  cursory  view,  might  have  appeared  best 
calculated  to  unbend  his  mind,  either  from  the 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  d 

fatigues  of  business,  the  forms  of  state,  or  the  more 
annoying  vexations  of  party.  To  him,  indeed, 
ceremony  seems  to  have  been  always  unpleasant; 
so  that  all  the  common  splendour  of  a  court  was 
totally  laid  aside,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
hours'  exhibition  on  the  birth-days,  or  particular 
levees.  Public  amusements,  the  theatre  excepted, 
had  for  him  no  charms.  Temperance  always  pre- 
sided at  his  table  ;  and  therefore  he  very  seldom, 
either  at  home  or  abroad,  sat  down  with  his  mi- 
nisters or  nobles  ;  latterly,  indeed,  he  even  dined 
alone,  though  he  always  joined  his  family  at  their 
repast :  but  though  he  thus  lived  in  private,  he 
did  not  live,  as  has  been  said,  in  Asiatic  seclusion; 
the  simple,  unguarded  Lodge,  at  Windsor,  was 
long  his  residence,  and  the  Terrace  his  evening 
levee. 

Previous  to  his  unhappy  malady,  a  reign  of 
twenty-eight  years,  marked  by  the  most  engaging 
condescension,  and  by  the  easy  familiarity  of  the 
gentleman,  had  rendered  the  royal  character  inti- 
mate to  every  order  of  his  subjects ;  and  although 
the  earlier  parts  of  his  reign,  in  some  respects, 
may  have  proved  inauspicious  to  the  empire,  yet 
the  events  that  rendered  them  so  were  never  im- 
puted either  to  want  of  ability,  or  of  virtue,  in  the 
Sovereign  himself. 

If  we  examine  his  career,  independent  of  foreign 
or  of  party  politics,  we  may  observe  that  fortitude, 

b2 


4  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

equanimity,  lenity,  benignity,  and  all  the  virtues 
that  adorn  the  humble  walks  of  private  life,  may  be 
traced  in  the  family  annals  of  George  the  Third, 
accompanying  him  through  every  period  of  his 
sovereignty.  Let  us  recollect,  that  it  is  to  his 
patriotism  we  are  indebted  for  the  independence 
of  the  Judges,  and  for  much  of  that  equal  ad- 
ministration of  justice  which  flows,  in  a  pure  un- 
tainted stream,  through  every  part  of  our  extended 
empire.  Let  us  recollect,  that  whatever  might  be 
the  charges  that  were  brought  against  him  on  one 
occasion,  of  want  of  liberality,  and  of  religious 
obstinacy,  yet  it  is  to  him  it  may  be  imputed, 
that  bigotry  and  superstition  have  fled  before  the 
spirit  of  toleration. 

Of  the  more  useful  and  scientific  pursuits,  let  it 
be  remembered,  that  even  from  the  commence- 
ment of  his  youthful  reign,  geography  has  been 
enlarged,  beyond  all  former  boundaries,  through 
the  medium  of  his  patronage.  If,  in  the  elegan- 
cies of  art,  or  in  the  developement  of  science,  he 
has  not  personally  rivalled  the  house  of  Medici, 
we  ought  to  bear  in  mind  that  such  personal  ex- 
ertions were  from  him  less  necessary ;  as  the 
moral  feelings,  the  improved  taste,  the  mental 
energies,  and  the  accumulating  capital  of  his  sub- 
jects, always  went  hand  in  hand  with  the  general 
patronage  and  attention  which  he  paid  to  the  arts 
and  sciences  ;  perhaps  thus  affording  more  real 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  5 

stimulus  to  exertion,  than  if  the  surplus  arising 
from  his  domestic  economy  had  been  expended 
upon  the  efforts  of  a  few. 

Kings  are  seldom  personally  loved  by  those  who 
surround  them.  Their  foibles  are  too  often  magni- 
fied into  faults,  and  the  necessary  rejection  of  many 
favours  asked  from  them,  is  too  often  a  drawback 
upon  that  affection  which  they  might  otherwise 
inspire.  From  kings  too  much  is  always  expected. 
Our  lamented  Monarch  possessed  an  understanding 
which,  if  not  of  a  brilliant,  lively,  or  imposing  de- 
scription, was  yet  solid  and  sedate,  and  fitted  him 
admirably  for  the  extensive  duties  of  his  high 
rank.  Unfortunately,  to  this  useful,  and  even 
favourable  turn  of  mind,  his  manners  did  great  in- 
justice. Bred  up  singly  and  solely,  without  an 
equal  amongst  his  companions,  and  flattered  by 
his  attendants,  the  heir  apparent  to  a  throne  has 
no  opportunity  of  acquiring  that  manliness  of  de- 
portment which  other  boys  are  forced  to  assume, 
in  order  to  be  the  preservers  of  their  own  con- 
sequence at  a  public  school,  and  in  their  subse- 
quent intercourse  with  the  world,  where,  however 
high  their  rank,  they  meet  innumerable  rivals,  both 
amongst  the  nobility  and  gentry.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising, therefore,  that  a  prince,  who  may  be  said 
to  find  his  dignity  waiting  for  him,  should  fail 
to  acquire  a  proper  confidence  of  manner,  and  that 
he  should  be  in  some  measure  destitute  of  orna- 


/ 


0  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

mental  and  adventitious  endowments.  Hence  we 
ma^  easily  account  in  our  late  Monarch,  for  the 
oscillations  of  his  body  upon  state  occasions,  the 
occasional  inelegance  of  his  movements,  the 
hurried  articulation  to  which  he  was  generally 
subject,  and  most  particularly  the  style  of  his  con- 
versation, consisting  principally  of  rapid  questions, 
which  seldom  waited  for  an  answer :  in  fact,  the 
style  in  which  a  prince  is  educated,  and  the 
reserve  to  which  he  is  accustomed,  on  the  part  of 
others,  in  conversation,  oblige  him  not  only  to 
use  that  mode  of  address,  on  subjects  where  he 
wishes  for  information,  but  even  to  think  in  the 
same  style,  from  habit,  and  to  adopt  it  when  he 
wishes  to  express  sentiments  already  formed. 

If  these  peculiarities  ever  led  casual  observers 
to  doubt  the  soundness  of  his  late  Majesty's  judg- 
ment, or  the  strength  of  his  faculties,  such  was 
not  the  case  with  those  who  came  in  closer  con- 
tact with  him ;  to  which  many  ministers,  especi- 
ally Mr.  Fox,  bore  ample  testimony. 

With  respect  to  the  acquirements  of  education, 
we  may  briefly  state  that  he  was  well  acquainted 
with  modern  history,  especially  that  of  England, 
France,  and  Germany.  Classical  literature  was 
perhaps  less  an  object  of  attention  to  him;  but  in 
modern  languages  he  was  well  versed,  and  spoke 
French,  German,  and  Italian,  with  facility.  In 
writing,  his  style  was  easy,  and  remarkable  for 


HIS    COU&T,    AND     FAMILY.  7 

brevity  and  perspicuity,  displaying  good  sense, 
firmness,  principle,  consistency,  and  self-posses- 
sion. Of  art  and  science  he  possessed  a  general 
knowledge,  but  he  displayed  a  taste  in  mechanics 
of  a  very  superior  order.  In  music,  he  was  al- 
most an  enthusiast;  and  his  skill  in  painting  and 
architecture  prompted  him  to  patronage  much 
beyond  what  the  world  is  in  general  acquainted 
with.  If  to  these  we  add  a  relish  for  hunting, 
acquired  towards  middle  life,  together  with  his 
farming  and  agricultural  pursuits,  it  is  evident 
that  the  listlessness  of  royalty  or  high  rank  could 
never  attack  him,  whilst  his  mind  was  in  its  natural 
state  of  quiescence  and  freedom  from  morbid  irri- 
tability. 

To  his  fondness  for  agriculture,  indeed,  much 
of  our  present  prosperity  may  be  attributed ; 
for  he  brought  it  into  fashion :  and  to  his  praise- 
worthy example  we  are  in  a  great  measure  in- 
debted for  the  exertions  of  our  most  celebrated 
agriculturists,  and  for  the  widely-diffused  benefits 
both  of  their  theories  and  practice. 

No  trait  more  strongly  marks  the  reign  of  our 
deceased  Monarch  than  the  universal  and  enthu- 
siastic loyalty  which  has  always,  upon  great  oc- 
casions, been  felt,  and  often  ardently  manifest- 
ed, by  the  people  of  the  British  empire  towards 
their  Sovereign.  It  is  certainly  true  that  the 
defalcation  of  the  American  colonies  forms  one 


8  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

strong  exception ;  and  that  at  every  period  of  his 
long  reign  there  have  been  individuals  found  who 
could  so  far  forget  truth  and  decorum,  as  to 
point  both  the  pen  and  the  pencil  against  his  per- 
son and  character— nay,  some  few  to  offer  him 
personal  insult,  and  even  to  attempt  his  life.  But 
notwithstanding  these  exceptions,  the  general 
position  will  not  be  denied ;  and  it  has  been  well 
observed,  that  as  versatility  of  temper  forms  too 
large  a  part  of  the  character  of  the  nation,  the 
monarch  who  permanently  fixes  their  affections, 
certainly  ought  to  have  credit  for  the  possession 
of  many  virtues. 

"  Of  our  revered  Sovereign,  even  while  living,  we 
were,  from  the  melancholy  circumstances  attending 
his  seclusion,  enabled  to  speak  in  terms  of  the  lofti- 
est panegyric,  without  being  suspected  of  design- 
ing to  win  his  personal  regard,  or  to  promote  our 
individual  interests:  and  we  may  now  be  permitted 
still  more  explicitly  to  say,  that  probably  no  na- 
tion ever  owed  more  to  the  personal  virtues  of  a 
monarch,  than  we  are  indebted  to  those  of  him 
who  is  the  theme  of  this  memoir.  Very  few  sove- 
reigns have  more  assiduously  thrown  the  splen- 
dour of  the  throne  around  the  institutions  of  re- 
ligion. He  was  one  of  the  few  monarchs  of  his 
time  who  never  missed  family  devotions.  And 
the  influence  of  this  example,  we  may  venture  to 
add,  has  been  such  as,  under  the  blessing  of  Di- 


HIS    COURT,    AND     FAMILY.  b) 

vine  Providence,  we  had  a  right  to  anticipate. 
Perhaps  no  reign  in  the  annals  of  our  history  has 
been  marked  by  a  more  rapid  progress  in  piety 
and  morals.  Benevolent  and  religious  institutions 
have  multiplied  with  incredible  rapidity.  As  ma- 
ny Bibles  and  Prayer-books  are  now  distributed 
in  this  kingdom  in  a  single  year,  as  were  before 
circulated  in  ten  times  that  period.  Nor  are  our 
exertions  confined  to  these  realms.  The  national 
piety  and  benevolence  have,  as  it  were,  spurned 
the  national  confines,  and,  overleaping  seas  and 
mountains,  have  made  all  nations  participators  in 
our  spiritual  and  temporal  blessings."  During  this 
period  too,  arts  and  sciences  have  prospered  in  pro- 
portion ;  and  the  civil  and  religious  liberties  of  the 
people  have  been  preserved  and  enlarged.  The 
Brunswick  family  have  always  been  firm  sup- 
porters of  the  Christian  religion,  and  the  staunch 
friends  of  protestantism.  Their  reign  has  been 
signalized  by  a  strict  adherence  to  the  principles 
of  the  constitution,  and  attempts  at  arbitrary 
power  have  never  been  witnessed.  They  must 
therefore  be  highly  respected  by  all  who  wish 
well  to  the  country,  for  the  unparalleled  bless- 
ings which,  under  their  government,  the  Al- 
mighty has  conferred  on  these  realms  :  and  it  was 
justly  observed,  upon  a  former  melancholy  occa- 
sion, by  a  pious  preacher,  that  "  To  the  present 
Royal  Family,   we  owe,  under  Providence,  the 


10  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

safety  with  which  we  worship  and  the  facilities  of 
extending  the  everlasting  gospel ;  and  that  I  am 
correct  in  ascribing  much  of  these  blessings  to 
their  mild  auspices,  will  be  felt  at  once  if  we  only 
imagine  what  must  have  ensued  had  the  Stuarts 
been  in  power,  or  France  furnished  us  with  a  king. 
Who  can  be  insensible  to  the  salutary  influence  of 
his  present  Majesty's  private  character  on  public 
manners  and  morals  ?  Who  ever  had  to  quote  his 
authority  for  the  neglect  of  public  worship,  or  the 
violation  of  the  sabbath  ?  Who  has  been  em- 
boldened in  extravagance  by  his  example  ?  None." 
— But  the  social  virtues,  the  charities  of  life,  the 
charms  of  domestic  retirement,  the  beauty  'of  holi- 
ness, have  never  wanted  a  royal  plea  in  their 
behalf  in  the  habits  and  decorum  of  our  venerable 
Sovereign.  The  sober  and  regular  had  always 
the  first  authority  in  the  empire  to  appeal  to  as 
their  example  whilst  the  King  was  himself;  and 
even  when  he  was,  like  a  silent  oracle,  lonely  and 
sad,  he  was  still  sacred,  and  his  former  maxims 
quoted  with  increasing  delight:  his  "  gray  hairs 
were  a  crown  of  glory  "  which  needed  not  a  regal 
diadem  to  endear  or  dignify  it. 

Sad,  indeed,  would  be  our  sorrow  for  his  loss, 
had  we  to  lament  him  as  the  last  of  his  line ;  but 
happily  we  have  now  every  prospect  under  Pro- 
vidence, that  our  highly-favoured  and  united 
kingdom  shall  never  want  a  prince  to  sit  on  the 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  11 

throne,  to  reign  in  righteousness,  and  be  the  pro- 
tector of  our  liberties  and  rights,  both  civil  and 
religious.     Still,  however,  it  is  our  duty  to  pray, 
not  only  that  the  sceptre  may  descend  in  peace, 
from  generation  to  generation,  to  the  next  in  suc- 
cession, but  that  our  sovereigns  may  continue,  as 
those  of  the  present  Royal  Family  have  always  been, 
the  enemies  of  arbitrary  power  and  oppression, 
the  warm  friends  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  the 
firm  supporters   of  protestantism.     The  kingdom 
of  Great  Britain  has  long  been  the  chief  pillar  of 
the  protestant  religion  ; — may  it  ever  remain  its 
glory  !   Nor  can  we  despair ;  we  have  yet  Princes, 
who   have    come  graciously  forward   as  the  de- 
cided patrons  of  every  cause  of  religion  and  bene- 
volence.    We  have  a  reigning  Family,  attached  to 
the   civil  and   religious  liberties  of  the  subject. 
We  have  surviving  branches    of  this    illustrious 
house,  numerous  enough  to  remove  our  apprehen- 
sions relative  to  the  protestant  succession.     We 
have  a  government,  mild  in  its  administration,  and 
regulated  by  the  constitution.     We  have  a  con- 
stitution, the  envy  and  admiration  of  the  world. 
We  have  the  Bible    in    our  own  tongue,   and  a 
church  distinguished  for  its  liberality  and  purity. 
We  are  at  peace  with  the  world,  and  among  our- 
selves.    These  are  the  blessings  remaining  to  us ; 
let  us  not,  therefore,  in  the  depth  of  our  affliction, 
ungratefully  overlook  or  undervalue  them. 


12  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

It  is  a  remarkable  circumstance,  and  worthy  of 
being  generally  known,  that  the  Royal  Family  of 
England  have  possessed  the  throne  for  consider- 
ably more  than  a  thousand  years.     Our  late  ve- 
nerable Monarch  was  descended,  in  the  female  line, 
from    Cerdic,    founder   of  the  kingdom  of  Wes- 
sex.     Cerdic  landed  in  England  in  the  year  495, 
and  having  founded  a  kingdom,  left  it  to  his  de- 
scendants, who,  in  succeeding  generations,  reduced 
all  the  other  kingdoms  of  the  Heptarchy  under 
their  own  power,  and  became  sole  monarchs  of 
England.     There  have,    indeed,  been  periods  in 
which  several  kings,  not  of  this  line,  have  in  suc- 
cession sat  on  the  throne;  but  in  the  course  of 
time,  the  crown  has  always  reverted  to  the  same 
dynasty  again.     It  has  not,  however,  always  de- 
scended to  the  next  in  succession ;  but  still  has 
been  continued  in  the  same  Family.     A  race  of 
monarchs  so  prolonged,  must  be  endeared  to  the 
hearts  of  Englishmen;  and  the  circumstance,  that 
the  same  Royal  Family  has  been  preserved  more 
than  thirteen  hundred  years,  and  generally  pos- 
sessed the  throne,  and  that  one  of  its  descendants 
now  fills  it,  ought  to  be  contemplated  as  an  evi- 
dence of  a  Divine  Providence  by  all   sects  and 
parties  in  the  nation,  to  whom  we  may  exclaim, 
in  the  words  of  a   pious  and  liberal  dissenter, 
"  Let  us  lift  up  our  weeping  eyes  from  the  sepul- 
chres of  Brunswick,  and  survey  the  monuments 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  13 

which  it  has  left  in  Britain : — see  the  Act  of  Tole- 
ration smiling  over  the  Act  of  Uniformity — the 
Bible  Society  on  the  ruins  of  the  Star  Chamber — 
the  African  Institution  on  the  ruins  of  the  Slave 
Trade — the  British  and  Foreign  School  Society 
with  Ignorance  under  her  feet — and  a  host  of  Mis- 
sions circling  the  world.  These  monuments  are 
as  indestructible  as  they  are  distinguished,  and 
when  the  rising  pillar  of  Waterloo  and  the  Jubilee 
columns,  like  an  Egyptian  obelisk,  have  lost  their 
inscription,  these  will  remain 

"  Rocks  amidst  the  flood  of  time." 

The  great  principle  of  civil  and  religious  liberty 
which  these  inculcate  is  purely  that  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. It  is  the  principle  which  called  the  present 
Family  to  the  throne  of  these  realms,  and  which 
gives  to  our  kings  the  title  of  sovereigns  of  a 
free  people — a  title  far  more  glorious  than  any 
emperor.  The  constitutional  principles  which 
seated  them  on  the  throne,  ought  to  be  had  in 
everlasting  remembrance.  Hence  our  ancestors, 
suffering  in  the  sacred  cause  of  civil  and  religious 
libertv,  hailed  the  accession  of  the  race  of  Brims- 
wick  as  an  event  of  no  ordinary  magnitude.  In- 
deed the  demise  of  the  last  reigning  member 
of  the  Stuart  dynasty  was  the  prevention  of  an 
act  of  tyranny  meditated  against  the  liberties  of 
the  country.     By  the  death  of  Queen  Anne,  and 


14  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

the  introduction  of  the  house  of  Brunswick,  all 
protestant  dissenters  were  rescued  from  an  im- 
pending evil,  whilst  the  whole  nation  was  eman- 
cipated from  the  yoke  of  slavery. 

This  is  a  consideration  which  interests  all  classes 
of  Christians  in  this  united  empire,  even  the 
catholics,  who  now  enjoy  a  free  toleration  of 
their  own  religion,  together  with  the  advantages 
resulting  from  the  freedom  consequent  upon  a 
protestant  establishment.  Happy  is  it  for  us  then 
that  God  in  his  providence  defeated  the  designs 
of  the  enemies  to  the  Hanover  succession,  and 
that  at  the  death  of  Queen  Anne  in  1714,  just  at 
the  time  when  they  had  brought  out  the  instrument 
for  the  work  of  persecuting  dissenters,  the  son  of  the 
Electress  of  Hanover,  George  I.  was  placed  upon 
the  British  throne  :  "  because  he  was  of  a  protestant 
house,  and,  by  his  principles,  and  the  constitutional  laws 
which  he  would  swear  to  preserve,  would  discourage  all 
persecution  for  conscience  sake :"  and  after  the  lapse 
of  a  century,  though  there  may  have  always 
been  a  party  in  the  country  who  have  disliked 
the  dissenters,  and  have  wished  the  bulwark  of 
their  liberties,  the  Act  of  Toleration,  to  be  razed 
and  removed,  it  is  due  to  this  Royal  House  to 
say,  that  the  oath  of  its  Monarchs  taken  at  their 
coronation,  "  I  will  preserve  the  Toleration  Act 
inviolable,'1  has  never  been  violated.  Hence  all 
classes  of  dissenters  have  gained  privileges  which 


MIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  15 

their  fathers,  at  the  commencement  of  the  Bruns- 
wick government,  did  not  enjoy,  and  constitutional 
rights  which  they  did  not  possess. 

Each  one  of  the  English  Monarchs  of  the  royal 
House  of  Brunswick  (and  no  one  more  fully  than 
our  late  venerable  and  afflicted  King)  has  thus 
fully  imbibed  the  principle,  and  consistently  acted 
upon  it,  which  Burnet  attributes  to  William  III. 
"  that  conscience  is  God's  province,  and  ought  not 
to  be  imposed  upon." 

It  is  fortunate  for  this  country  that  our 
earliest  monarchs  found  it  necessary  to  oppose 
the  principles  of  the  Salique  law  in  France, 
and  to  maintain  the  right  of  female  succession 
to  the  throne. 

That  the  principle  is  an  ancient  British  one,  is 
evident  from  the  historical  facts  respecting  Boa- 
dicea;  and  although  we  had  not  any  female 
monarchs  under  the  Saxon  governments,  either 
before  or  after  the  wise  union  of  the  Heptarchy  by 
Egbert,  in  the  year  819,  yet  it  is  well  known  to 
have  been  a  Saxon  principle,  insomuch  that  Wil- 
liam, Duke  of  Normandy,  founded  his  claim  in 
preference  to  Harold,  on  his  descent  from  Matilda 
of  Brunswick,  who  was  descended  from  Elfrida, 
wife  of  Baldwin  II.  Count  of  Flanders,  and  daugh- 
ter of  Alfred  the  Great,  grandson  of  Egbert,  the 
first  Saxon  monarch  of  the  whole  kingdom  of 
England. 


16 


GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 


On  the  same  principle  William  married  his  son 
Henry,  afterwards  Henry  I.  to  Maud,  daughter  of 
Malcolm  III.  King  of  Scotland,  by  Margaret, 
sister  of  Edgar  Atheling,  the  last  of  the  Saxon 
line  of  princes,  and  the  undoubted  heiress  of  the 
British  crown. 

From  Henry's  daughter  Maud,  married  first  to 
Henry  V.  Emperor  of  Germany,  and  afterwards 
to  Geoffrey  Plantagenet,  by  whom  she  had  Henry 
II.  this  latter  monarch  claimed  a  right  to  the 
throne  in  preference  to  Stephen,  whose  claim  was 
also  a  female  one ;  and  it  may  be  remarked  that 
the  English  monarchs  of  the  Norman  line,  not  only 
founded  their  own  claims  upon  the  female  right  of 
inheritance,  but  even  engrafted  it  on,  or  at  least 
supported  it  in,  the  general  system  of  military 
feudality. 

Again,  in  the  15th  century,  Henry  VII.  found- 
ed his  claim  on  his  descent  from  his  mother 
Margaret,  Countess  of  Richmond,  heiress  of  the 
Beauforts,  and  great  grand-daughter  of  John  of 
Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster,  fourth  son  of  Ed- 
ward III. ;  yet  even  he  thought  his  claim  strength- 
ened by  his  union  with  the  heiress  of  the  hostile 
House  of  York. 

The  claim  of  James  I.  was  also  a  female  one  in 
right  of  his  mother  Mary,  not  only  to  the  crown 
of  England,  but  also  to  that  of  Scotland,  where  the 
same  principle  of  descent  prevailed,  most  fortu- 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  17 

nately  for  the  peace  and  welfare  of  both  king- 
doms. 

On  the  abdication  of  James  II.  the  crown  was 
offered  to  Mary,  daughter  of  James,  and  to  her 
husband  William  Prince  of  Orange,  son  of  Mary, 
eldest  daughter  of  Charles  I.  both  female  claims; 
and  on  William's  death,  it  fell  by  regular  descent 
to  Anne,  heiress  in  right  of  her  progenitors,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  protestant  laws  of  descent  founded 
on  the  Revolution. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  enter  into  the  earlier  history 
of  the  House  of  Brunswick,  one  of  the  oldest  in 
Germany,  and  descended  from  the  House  of  Este, 
in  Italy,  supposed  in  a  right  line  from  Caius 
iEtius,  a  noble  Roman  senator;  it  is  sufficient  to 
mark  its  early  connexion  with  the  throne  of  Eng- 
land by  the  marriage  of  Matilda,  daughter  of 
Henry  II.  to  Henry  the  Lion,  duke  of  Brunswick, 
from  whom  Ernest  Augustus,  first  Elector  of  Han- 
over, father  of  George  I.  was  lineally  descended, 
and  who,  in  1658,  married  Sophia,  grand-daughter 
of  James  I.  also  descended  from  Henry  I.  by 
his  daughter  Maud,  and  from  the  Saxon  line,  by 
the  marriage  of  Margaret,  sister  and  heiress  of 
Edgar  Atheling,  with  Malcolm  Canmore,  King  of 
Scotland. 

We  shall,  therefore,  only  briefly  notice  one  or 
two  of  the  generations  prior  to  the  regal  succes- 
sion, from  the  sixteenth  century  : 

c 


18  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

William,  Duke  of  Brunswick  Lunenburg,  fourth 
son  of  Ernest,  called  the  Confessor  on  account  of 
his  having  introduced  the  Augsburg  Confession  into 
his  dominions,  had  fifteen  children,  seven  of  whom 
were  sons,  and  were  rendered  more  remarkable  in 
history  by  their  amity,  than  they  could  well  have 
been  by  an  extended  and  splendid  lineage.  These 
princes,  whose  names  were  Ernest,  Christian, 
Augustus,  Frederick,  Magnus,  George,  and  John, 
being  resolved,  on  the  death  of  their  father,  in 
1593,  to  keep  up  the  dignity  of  their  house,  came 
to  an  agreement  among  themselves  not  to  divide 
their  paternal  inheritance.  Accordingly  they  de- 
termined that  only  one  of  the  number  should  marry, 
and  that  the  elder  brother  should  have  the  sole 
regency  over  the  Lunenburg  estates,  and  be  suc- 
ceeded by  the  eldest  survivor.  They  kept  to  this 
brotherly  compact  with  great  exactness  ;  and  this 
circumstance  appeared  so  extraordinary,  that  when 
the  Grand  Signior  Achmet  the  First  was  made 
acquainted  with  it,  he  expressed  great  surprise, 
and  said,  "  It  was  worth  a  man's  while  to  under- 
take a  journey  on  purpose  to  be  an  eye-witness  of 
such  wonderful  unanimity."  The  seven  brothers, 
according  to  the  treaty,  drew  lots  who  should 
marry,  and  the  fortunate  chance  fell  upon  George, 
the  sixth  brother,  who,  in  consequence,  formed  a 
union  with  Anne  Eleanora,  daughter  of  Lewis, 
Landgrave  of  Hesse  Darmstadt,  by  whom  he  had 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  19 

five  children.  Thus  George  secured  the  govern- 
ment to  his  family,  but  he  died  in  •  642;  without 
enjoying  the  regency  himself. 

His  marriage  produced  four  sons,  the  younger 
of  whom,  Ernest  Augustus,  born  in  1 029,  became 
the  sole  heir  in  1680,  after  distinguishing  himself 
much,  as  bishop  of  Osnaburg,  in  favour  of  the 
protestant  religion.  He  was  the  first  Duke  of 
Hanover,  and  was  made  an  Elector  of  the  empire, 
along  with  the  imperial  offices  of  standard-bearer, 
and  arch-treasurer.  In  1658  he  married  the 
Princess  Sophia  of  Bohemia,  grand-daughter  of 
James  I.  of  England ;  by  which  union  the  whole 
royal  line  of  British  blood  became  united  with  the 
Brunswick  pedigree ;  including  the  ancient  dy- 
nasty of  Cadwallader,  the  Saxon,  the  Norman, 
the  Plantagenet,  the  Tudor,  and  the  Stuart ; 
embracing  also  the  whole  Scottish  line  from 
Fergus,  and  the  royal  line  of  Ireland  from  Cathal 
O'Connor  Crowdearg,  or  Cathal  with  the  red  hand, 
whose  heiress  married  Hubert  de  Burgo,  Earl  of 
Ulster,  leaving  a  daughter  and  heiress,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Lionel,  Duke  of  Clarence,  third 
son  of  Edward  III.  and  a  direct  ancestor  in  line. 
George  Lewis  (afterwards  George  I.  of  England) 
was  eldest  son  of  the  elector  Ernest,  and  was 
married  in  1 682  to  Sophia  Dorothy,  heiress  of  his 
oldest  uncle,  the  Duke  of  Zell,  who' was  mother 
of  George  II. ;  but  in  her  latter  years  she  suffered 

c2 


20  GKOKGE    THE    THMtD, 

close  confinement,  by  order  of  her  husband,  on 
account  of  circumstances  that  have  never  been 
fully  explained. 

Such  was  the  state  of  the  electoral  family  at  the 
period  of  the  Revolution,  when  their  eventual  suc- 
cession to  the  throne  of  these  realms  was  actually 
in  contemplation ;  for  Bishop  Burnet  expressly 
says,  "  The  Duke  of  Hanover  was  at  that  time  in 
some  engagements  with  the  court  of  France,  but 
since  he  had  married  the  Princess  Sophia  of  the 
Palatine  house,  I  ventured  to  send  a  message  to 
her  by  one  of  their  court,  who  was  then  at  the 
Hague  :  he  was  a  French  refugee,  named  M.Bon- 
cour.  It  was  to  acquaint  her  with  our  design  with 
relation  to  England,  and  to  let  her  know,  that,  if 
we  succeed,  certainly  a  perpetual  exclusion  of  all 
papists  from  the  succession  to  the  crown  would  be 
enacted ;  and  since  she  was  the  next  protestant 
heir  after  the  two  princesses  and  the  Prince  of 
Orange,  of  whom  at  that  time  there  was  no  issue 
alive,  I  was  very  confident  that  if*  the  Duke  of 
Hanover  could  be  disengaged  from  the  interests 
of  France,  so  that  he  came  into  our  interests,  the 
succession  to  the  crown  would  be  lodged  in  her 
person,  and  in  her  posterity  :  though  on  the  other 
hand,  if  he  continued  as  he  stood  then  engaged 
with  France,  I  could  not  answer  for  this.  The 
gentleman  carried  the  message,  and  delivered  it. 
The  duchess  entertained  it  with  much  warmth, 


HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  21 

and  brought  him  to  the  duke  to  repeat  it  to  him ; 
but  at  that  time  this  made  no  great  impression  on 
him,  for  he  looked  on  it  as  a  remote  and  a  doubtful 
project :  yet  when  he  saw  our  success  in  England, 
he  had  other  thoughts  of  it.  Some  days  after  this 
Frenchman  was  gone,  I  told  the  prince  what  I  had 
done ;  he  approved  of  it  heartily,  but  was  parti- 
cularly glad  that  I  had  done  it  as  of  myself,  with- 
out communicating  it  to  him,  or  any  way  engaging 
him  in  it ;  for  he  said,  if  it  should  happen  to  be 
known  that  the  proposition  was  made  by  him,  it 
might  do  us  hurt  in  England — as  if  he  had  already 
reckoned  himself  so  far  master,  as  to  be  forming 
projects  concerning  the  succession  to  the  crown.'' 

This  was  certainly  an  admirable  foresight ;  for 
it  was  still  possible  that  William  and  Mary  might 
have  issue ;  besides  the  Princess  Anne,  afterwards 
queen,  was  then  married,  and  very  prolific.  Of 
the  latter  royal  personage,  some  observations  of 
an  amiable  authoress,  in  reference  to  the  Hanover 
succession,  deserve  a  place  here : — 

"  It  would  almost  seem  that  the  issue  of  this 
princess  was  deemed  by  providence  too  central  a 
branch  of  the  Stuart  family,  to  be  entrusted  with 
the  newly-renovated  constitution.  A  more  distant 
connexion  had  already  been  specially  trained  for 
this  most  important  trust,  though  with  little  ap- 
parent probability  of  being  called  to  exercise  it, 
the  Princess  Anne  havinsr  been  no  less  than  seven- 


22  GEORGE    THE   THIRD, 

teen  times  pregnant.  The  death  of  the  Duke  of 
Gloucester,  the  last  of  her  fa mill/,  at  length  turned 
the  eyes  of  the  English  public  toward  the  Prin- 
cess Sophia;  and  from  henceforth  she  and  her 
issue  were  recognized  as  presumptive  heirs  to 
the  crown.  Many  of  the  events  which  occurred 
during  the  last  years  of  Queen  Anne's  reign, 
served  not  a  little  to  enhance  to  all  who  were  cor- 
dially attached  to  the  English  constitution,  the 
providential  blessing  of  so  suitable  a  succession. 

"  A  more  remarkable  event  is  scarcely  to  be 
found  in  the  annals  of  the  world.  Nothing  could 
be  more  essential  to  the  interests  of  British  liberty, 
than  that  they,  who  were  concerned  for  its  main- 
tenance, should  be  possessed  of  the  promptest 
and  most  unexceptionable  means  of  filling  the 
vacant  throne.  No  prince  was  fitted  to  their  pur- 
pose, who  was  not  zealously  attached  to  the  pro- 
testant  religion;  and  it  was  desirable  that  he 
should,  at  the  same  time,  possess  such  a  title,  on 
ground  of  consanguinity,  as  that  the  principle  of 
hereditary  monarchy  might  be  as  little  departed 
from  as  the  exigencies  of  the  case  would  admit. 
For  the  securing  of  both  these  radical  objects, 
what  an  adequate  provision  was  made  in  the  Prin- 
cess Sophia  and  her  illustrious  offspring!  The 
connexion  thus  near,  was  made  interesting  by 
every  circumstance  which  could  engage  the  hearts 
of  English  protestants.     The  Princess  Sophia  was 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  2^ 

the  only  remaining  child  of  that  only  remaining 
daughter  of  James  I.,  who,  being  married  to  one 
of  the  most  zealous  protestant  princes  of  the  em- 
pire, became  his  partner  in  a  series  of  personal 
and  domestic  distresses,  in  which  his  committing 
himself,  on  the  cause  of  the  protestants  of  Bo- 
hemia, involved  him  and  his  family  for  near  half  a 
century.  In  her,  all  the  rights  of  her  mother,  as 
well  as  of  her  father,  were  vested ;  and  while  by 
the  electoral  dignity  (of  which  her  father  had  been 
deprived,)  being  restored  to  her  husband,  the 
Duke  of  Hanover,  she  seemed,  in  part,  compen- 
sated for  the  afflictions  of  her  earlier  life, — her 
personal  character,  in  which  distinguished  wit  and 
talents  were  united  with  wisdom  and  piety,  both 
these  latter  probably  taught  her  in  the  school  of 
adversity,  procured  for  her  the  admiration  of  all 
who  knew  her,  as  well  as  the  veneration  of  those 
whose  religious  sentiments  were  congenial  with 
her  own." 

It  was  in  1701,  that  the  act  passed,  by  which  it 
was  settled,  that  after  the  death  of  King  William 
and  the  Princess  Anne,  without  heirs,  the  succes- 
sion to  the  crown  of  these  kingdoms  should  de- 
volve upon  the  Princess  Sophia,  Duchess  Dowager 
of  Hanover,  and  the  heirs  of  her  body,  being  pro- 
testants. Upon  this  the  Earl  of  Macclesfield  was 
despatched  by  the  King,  in  the  character  of  ambas- 
sador extraordinary,  to  Hanover.     At  his  arrival 


24  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

there,  he  had  a  house  and  all  kinds  of  provisions 
freely  and  liberally  appointed  for  himself  and  his 
retinue.  But,  says  an  historian  of  those  times, 
among  the  great  company  there,  some  were  so  re- 
probate, that  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  in- 
treated  the  Princess  Sophia  to  dismiss  them  from 
her  court,  lest  their  presence  and  society  might 
prove  prejudicial  to  her  dignity.  Others  were 
hangers-on  there,  in  expectation  of  employments ; 
who,  afterwards,  when  factions  arose  at  the  court 
of  Hanover,  through  their  imprudence  forfeited 
the  favour  both  of  the  elector  and  of  their  own 
party.  For  the  elector  himself  abhorred  all  fac- 
tion and  emulation  ;  and  his  temperance,  and  the 
quiet  life  he  had  hitherto  led,  filled  many  people 
with  hopes  of  a  modest  mind,  and  a  moderate  man. 
Soon  after,  in  1705,  the  Princess  Sophia  sent  the 
following  letter  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

"  My  Lord, 

"  I  received  your  grace's  letter:  *** 
You  have  no  reason  to  make  any  excuse  that  you 
have  not  writ  to  me  before  :  for  I  do  not  judge  of 
people's  friendship  for  me,  by  the  good  words  they 
give  me,  but  I  depend  upon  your  integrity,  and 
what  you  tell  me  in  general  of  the  honest  men  of 
England. 

"  I  desire  no  further  assurance  of  their  good 
will  and  affection    to   me,    unless   they  think  it 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  25 

necessary  for  the  good  of  the  protestant  reli- 
gion, the  public  liberties  of  Europe,  and  the 
people  of  England. 

"  I  thank  God,  I  am  in  good  health,  and  live  in 
quiet  and  with  content  here  ;  therefore  I  have  no 
reason  to  desire  to  change  my  way  of  living,  on 
the  account  of  any  personal  satisfaction  that  I  can 
propose  to  myself. 

"  However  I  am  ready  and  willing  to  comply 
with  whatever  can  be  desired  of  me,  by  my 
friends,  in  case  that  the  parliament  think  that  it 
is  for  the  good  of  the  kingdom,  to  invite  me  into 
England. 

"  But  I  suppose  they  will  do  this  in  such  a 
manner  as  will  make  my  coming  agreeable  to  the 
Queen,  whom  I  shall  ever  honour,  and  endeavour 
to  deserve  her  favours  ;  of  which  she  hath  given 
me  many  public  demonstrations,  by  what  she 
hath  done  for  me  in  England  and  Scotland,  which 
you  may  judge  of  more  particularly  ;  and  I  most 
remember  that  she  ordered  me  to  be  prayed  for 
in  the  churches. 

"  I  doubt  not  her  Majesty  is  as  much  inclined 
at  present  to  establish  the  safety  of  the  three 
kingdoms  upon  such  a  foot  that  they  may  be 
exposed  to  the  least  hazard  that  is  possible,  and 
that  she  will  begin  with  England. 

"  Mr.  How  has  acquainted  me  with  her  Majesty's 
good  inclinations  for  my  family  ;  which  makes  me 


26  GEORGE     THE    THIRD, 

think  that,  perhaps,  her  Majesty  sees  this  is  a 
proper  time  for  her  to  express  herself  in  our 
favour.  But  whether  I  am  right  in  that  point  or 
not,  my  friends  in  England  can  best  judge. 

"  It  is  but  reasonable  that  I  should  submit  my- 
self to  their  opinions  and  advice;  and  I  depend 
most,  upon  what  your  Grace  shall  advise,  which 
will  ever  have  the  greatest  weight  with  me. 

"  Therefore  I  write  the  more  plainly  to  you,  and 
tell  you  my  thoughts,  that  you  may  communicate 
them  to  all  you  think  fit.  For  they  will  then  see 
that  I  have  great  zeal  for  the  good  of  England, 
and  a  most  sincere  respect  for  the  Queen. 

"This  is  the  best  proof  that  I  can  give,  at  pre- 
sent, of  my  esteem  for  your  Grace ;  but  I  shall  be 
glad  of  further  opportunities  to  assure  you  I  am, 
and  ever  shall  be,  most  sincerely, 

"  My  Lord, 

"  Votre  tres  affectionnee, 
"  a  vous  servir, 
"  Sophie  Electrice." 

"Hannover,  Nov.  3d,   1705." 

This  letter  is  the  best  eulogium  on  her  virtues. 

Such  was  the  mother  of  George  the  First !  She 
lived,  enjoying  her  bright  faculties  to  a  very  ad- 
vanced age,  to  see  a  throne  prepared  for  her  son, 
far  more  glorious  than  that  from  which  her  father 
had  been  driven;  or,  which  to  her  excellent  mind 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  27 

was  still  more  gratifying,  she  saw  herself  pre- 
served, after  the  extinction  of  all  the  other  branches 
of  her  paternal  house,  to  furnish,  in  the  most 
honourable  instance  possible,  an  invaluable  stay 
and  prop  for  that  cause,  on  account  of  which  her 
parents  and  their  children  seemed,  for  a  time,  to 
have  "  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things." 

Indeed  she  only  failed,  herself,  of  sitting  on  the 
throne  of  England,  by  dying  about  seven  weeks 
before  Queen  Anne,  who  expired  on  the  1st  of 
August,  1714;  when  George,  Elector  of  Hanover, 
was  proclaimed  King  of  England. 

It  is  a  curious  fact,  connected  with  the  Bruns- 
wick accession,  that  at  the  time  of  the  Gun- 
powder Plot,  it  was  intended  to  extirpate  the 
whole  royal  family,  except  the  Princess  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  James  I.  and  afterwards  Elec- 
tress  Palatine  and  Queen  of  Bohemia,  who  was 
to  have  been  educated  as  a  catholic  for  the  main- 
tenance of  that  religion.  Yet  from  the  issue 
of  that  very  lady  was  the  Brunswick  family  se- 
lected as  the  bulwark  of  the  Christian  religion  ;  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  issue  of  her  brother,  finally 
represented  by  the  Pretender,  and  by  the  female 
line  in  the  various  families  of  France,  Spain,  and 
Sardinia.  It  has  also  been  asserted  that  the  sus- 
picions of  an  intended  invasion  by  the  Pretender, 
previous  to  the  death  of  Queen  Anne,  were  so 
general  at  that  time,  and  were  so  much  confirmed 


28  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

by  the  papers  and  letters  of  information  trans- 
mitted by  order  of  the  Electoral  Family  of  Hanover, 
that  the  Whigs  were  determined  to  be  beforehand 
with  the  Tories  in  this  business ;  and,  if  the  Queen 
had  not  died  so  suddenly,  the  former  would  have 
taken  up  arms  in  defence  of  their  religion  and 
liberties. 

General  Stanhope  (the  ancestor  of  the  present 
Earl  Stanhope)  was  to  have  commanded  the  army, 
and  Lord  Cadogan  to  have  seized  the  Tower.  All 
the  officers  on  half-pay,  as  a  writer  of  that  pe- 
riod maintains,  had  signed  the  association.  The 
place  of  rendezvous  was  appointed  behind  Mon- 
tague-house. The  officers  kept  their  arms  in 
readiness  in  their  bed-chambers,  and  were  pre- 
pared to  obey  the  summons  at  a  minute's  warning. 
The  Queen,  however,  dying  before  this  plot  was 
ripe  enough  for  execution,  and  the  unanimous 
resolution  of  the  council  (principally  effected  by 
the  exertions  of  the  Dukes  of  Argyle  and  So- 
merset) taking  cautious  measures  for  the  better 
security  of  the  Hanover  succession,  every  thing 
succeeded  so  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
Whigs,  as  to  render  all  ideas  of  insurrection  un- 
necessary. 

In  the  Memoirs  of  Lord  Chesterfield  by  Dr. 
Maty,  we  are  told  that  Lord  Bolingbroke  never 
heard  of  this  design  till  his  return  to  England  in 
1722;  and  he  further  adds,  "that  Lord  Boling- 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  29 

broke  assured  Lord  Chesterfield,  that  he  never 
had  any  fixed  scheme  in  relation  to  the  Pretender, 
and  that  he  had  always  avoided  speaking  of  him 
to  the  Queen,  who,  he  said,  did  not  like  to  hear 
any  thing  of  a  successor.  He  likewise  added, 
that  the  Pretender  never  ivas  in  England  during  the 
Tory  administration . ' ' 

What  credit  may  be  due  to  Lord  Bolingbroke's 
assertion  on  this  head,  may  be  gathered  from  the 
veracity  of  the  last  paragraph,  as  it  is  well  known 
the  Pretender  was  in  this  country  some  months 
before  the  Queen's  death,  and  had  apartments  at 
Somerset-house  incog;,  and  that  he  left  London 
only  for  the  purpose  of  making  preparation  for  a 
descent  on  this  kingdom.  But  perhaps  Lord 
Bolingbroke  might  think,  as  a  statesman,  that  it 
was  too  near  the  scene  to  tell  the  fact  upon  this 
occasion,  which  would  then  too  much  involve 
private  interests  and  connexions. 

One  of  the  most  active  in  favour  of  the  Hano- 
verian succession  was  the  great  Lord  Halifax, 
who  displayed  much  patriotism  in  a  private  con- 
versation with  his  secretary  the  amiable  Addison, 
previous  to  their  setting  out  to  meet  the  new 
Monarch,  on  his  expected  landing  at  Greenwich. 
Halifax  told  Addison  that  he  expected  to  have 
the  white  staff,  and  that  he  had  for  some  time 
past  been  considering  what  he  should  do  in  that 
case,  to  which  he  had  finally  made  up  his  mind ; 


30  GEORGE    THE    TnillD, 

addiiig,  that  he  had  been  in  his  time  a  good  deal 
in  hot  water,  and  as  deeply  engaged  in  party  as 
most  men,  confessing  that,  to  say  the  truth,  he 
had  done  many  things  in  the  spirit  of  party  which, 
on  serious  reflection,  he  was  thoroughly  ashamed 
of.  He  assured  Addison,  however,  that  he  had 
now  resolved,  by  the  help  of  God,  to  make  King- 
George,  not  the  head  of  a  party,  but  the  king  of 
a  glorious  nation — that,  to  be  sure,  a  great  many 
people  must  be  removed  from  their  posts,  that  the 
Tories  themselves  could  not  expect  it  to  be  other- 
wise, and  it  would  be  the  highest  ingratitude  not 
to  reward  several  gentlemen  who  had  borne  the 
heat  of  the  day,  and  run  all  hazards  for  the  house 
of  Hanover ;  yet,  at  the  same  time,  if  the  King 
would  take  his  advice,  there  should  be  no  cruel- 
ties, no  barbarities  committed,  nor  should  every 
worthless  fellow  that  called  himself  a  Whig,  got 
drunk,  and  bawled  at  an  election,  displace  a  man 
of  ten  times  his  own  merit,  only  because  that 
man  was  a  reputed  Tory  ! 

Halifax  further  said  that  he  knew  the  Tory 
party  well ;  and  though  he  was  aware  that  some 
of  them  did  mean  to  elevate  the  Pretender,  yet 
there  were  others  amongst  them,  as  worthy  men 
as  ever  lived.  He  thought  it  time  the  nation 
should  be  united,  when  we  should  indeed  be  a 
formidable  people  ;  and  he  hoped  the  work  was 
reserved  by  providence  for  the  new  dynasty.    In 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  31 

the  expectation  of  receiving  the  white  staff,  he 
added,  that  it  was  his  design  to  live  in  such  a 
manner  as  would  be  no  disgrace  to  his  master, 
and  that  he  would,  if  possible,  put  an  end  to  the 
scandalous  practice  of  buying  places,  being  re- 
solved to  recommend  none  that  were  not  competent 
to  their  situations.  But  Halifax  was  disappointed. 
It  was  said  that  the  new  monarch  made  no  great 
haste ;  for,  as  if  he  had  thought  all  things  were 
governed  by  fate  or  fortune,  he  staid  a  long  time 
to  settle  his  own  affairs  at  home.  After  this  he 
declared  who  should  accompany  him  in  his  jour- 
ney ;  and  having  obtained  the  emperor  s  leave  to 
depart,  set  out  at  last  for  England.  When  he  ar- 
rived at  the  Hague,  he  received  the  congratulations 
of  the  States,  whom  he  assured  of  his  friendship, 
and  his  fixed  purpose  to  observe  ancient  alliances 
with  the  republic.  He  then  went  on  ship-board, 
with  the  Prince  of  Wales  ;  and  a  south  wind 
carried  him  to  England,  where  he  landed  at 
Greenwich.  A  vast  train  of  nobility,  of  all  deno- 
minations, received  him  on  shore,  and  attended 
his  Majesty  to  the  royal  palace. 

The  coronation  which  took  place  in  Westminster 
Abbey,  October  14,  1714,  was  attended  by  a  pro- 
digious crowd  of  joyful  spectators  ;  and  the  King 
observed  to  Lady  Cowper,  in  whose  conversation 
he  took  great  pleasure,  that  the  sight  and  the 
place  forcibly  brought  to  his  thoughts  the  day  of 


32  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

judgment.  "  Well  it  might/'  replied  her  lady- 
ship, "  for  it  was  truly  the  resurrection  of  Eng- 
land, and  of  all  faithful  subjects." 

It  is  not  our  intention  to  give  even  a  sketch  of 
this  reign ;  but  a  few  anecdotes,  gleaned  from 
authentic  sources,  cannot  fail  to  be  interesting 
and  illustrative 

At  the  first  masquerade  the  King  attended,  there 
happened  an  incident  that  did  great  honour  to  his 
good-nature.  A  lady  masked,  whose  name  was 
not  known,  followed  his  majesty  as  if  she  had 
taken  him  for  a  stranger,  and  invited  him  to  drink 
a  glass  of  wine  at  one  of  the  beaufets,  with  which 
he  readily  complied  ;  and  the  lady  filling  a  bum- 
per, said,  "  Here,  mask,  the  Pretender's  health." 
Then  filling  another  glass,  she  presented  it  to  the 
King,  who  received  it  with  a  smile,  and  replied, 
"  I  drink,  with  all  my  heart,  to  the  health  of  all 
unfortunate  princes.'' 

His  Majesty  also  shewed  equal  good-nature  on 
another  occasion  ;  for,  being  on  a  journey,  the 
coach  broke  down,  and  he  was  obliged  to  stop  for 
some  time  at  the  house  of  a  country  gentleman, 
who  was  zealously  attached  to  the  exiled  family. 
The  King  was  shewn  into  the  best  room,  where, 
in  a  conspicuous  situation,  appeared  the  portrait 
of  the  Pretender.  The  owner  of  the  mansion  was 
in  great  confusion  when  he  perceived  the  attention 
of  his  royal  guest  fixed  upon  the  picture  ;  but  the 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  33 

latter  relieved  him  from  his  embarrassment  by 
saying,  M  Upon  my  word  it  is  a  striking  likeness, 
and  very  much  resembles  the  family/' 

There  was  a  gentleman  who  lived  in  the  city  in 
the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  this  Monarch,  and 
was  so  shrewdly  suspected  of  Jacobitism,  that  he 
was  taken  up  two  or  three  times  before  the  Coun- 
cil, but  yet  defended  himself  so  dextrously  that 
they  could  fasten  nothing  on  him.  On  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  rebellion  in  1715,  this  person,  who 
mixed  some  humour  with  his  politics,  wrote  to 
the  Secretary  of  State,  that,  as  he  took  it  for 
granted  that  at  a  time  like  the  present  he  should 
be  taken  up,  as  usual,  for  a  Jacobite,  he  had  only 
one  favour  to  beg,  that  if  the  administration  meant 
any  such  thing,  they  would  do  it  in  the  course  of 
the  next  week ;  for  the  week  after  he  was  going 
down  to  Devonshire  upon  his  own  business, 
which,  without  this  explanation,  no  doubt,  would 
be  construed  as  transacting  the  business  of  the 
Pretender. 

Lord  Townshend,  who  was  Secretary  of  State 
at  that  time,  in  one  of  his  convivial  moments  with 
the  King,  shewed  him  this  letter,  and  asked  him 
what  his  Majesty  would  direct  to  be  done  with 
such  a  fellow?  "Poh!  poh!"  says  the  King, 
"  there  can  be  little  harm  in  a  man  who  writes  so 
pleasantly." 

VOL.  I.  D 


34  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

Nothing  seems  to  have  hurt  this  Monarch  more 
than  the  frequent  oppositions  he  met  with  on  ac- 
count of  subsidies.  Bred  up  in  principles  different 
from  those  of  the  country  which  he  was  called  to 
govern,  he  could  not  avoid  complaining  to  his 
most  intimate  friends,  "  that  he  was  come  over 
to  England  to  be  a  begging  king"  He  added,  "  he 
thought  his  fate  very  hard  to  be  continually  op- 
posed in  his  application  for  supplies,  which  he 
only  asked  that  he  might  employ  them  for  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  nation." 

It  must  be  acknowledged,  however,  that  it  was 
solely  his  unacquaintance  with  the  laws  of  Eng- 
land which  could  make  him  feel  so  established  an 
article  in  its  government,  that  of  not  granting  mo- 
ney but  by  the  consent  of  parliament,  as  any  hard- 
ship ;  but  that  it  was  his  principle  only  to  employ 
that  money  for  the  good  of  the  nation  is  evident, 
as  he  was  not  fond  of  appearing  in  the  full  splen- 
dour of  majesty,  was  remarkably  averse  to  any 
act  of  oppression,  and  cultivated  the  happiness 
and  esteem  of  his  subjects  throughout  the  whole 
course  of  his  reign. 

That  the  King's  own  intentions  were  just  and 
patriotic  is  certain  ;  for  in  an  answer  to  a  petition 
of  the  City  of  London  in  November  1718,  his 
Majesty  said,  with  great  earnestness,  "  I  shall  be 
glad,  not  only  for  your  sakes,  but  my  own,  if  any 
defects  which  may  touch  the  rights  of  my  good 


HIS    COURT,    AND     FAMILY.  35 

subjects  are  discovered  in  my  time,  since  that  will 
furnish  me  with  the  means  of  giving  you  and  all 
my  people  an  indisputable  proof  of  my  tenderness 
of  their  privileges !" 

An  extraordinary  fact  is  said  to  have  taken 
place  in  the  year  1725,  in  proposals  for  marriage 
between  the  French  king,  Louis  XV.  and  the 
eldest  daughter  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  afterwards 
George  II.  This  proposal  was  made  by  the  Duke 
of  Bourbon,  the  Regent  of  France,  he  having  re- 
cently broken  off  the  match  between.  Louis  and 
his  cousin,  a  princess  of  Spain.  But  the  necessity 
of  her  abjuring  the  protestant  faith,  was  one  very 
powerful  and  indeed  paramount  objection  to  the 
acceptance  of  this  offer  on  the  part  of  the  Princess 
Anne,  afterwards  Princess  of  Orange.  Besides, 
George  I.,  however  he  might  have  been  nattered 
by  the  idea  of  his  own  descendants  sitting  on  the 
throne  of  France,  was  perfectly  aware  that  the 
measure  itself,  even  though  apparently  possessing 
many  political  advantages,  would  Jiave  been  not 
only  disgusting,  but  also  irritating,  to  all  the 
friends  of  the  Hanoverian  succession;  and  it  was 
declined  accordingly. 

The  King's  fondness  for  visiting  his  German 

/*    dominions   was    not   always    approved   of;    and 

amongst   the    satirists    on    these    occasions   was 

Samuel  Wesley,  brother  of  the  famous  John,  who 

wrote    a   little   poem    called    "  The    Regency," 

d  2 


36  GEORGE    THE    THIKD, 

laughing  at  the  persons  entrusted  with  the  govern- 
ment during  the  Monarch's  absence.  Part  of  this 
poem  is  preserved  in  Nichols's  Literary  Anec- 
dotes, beginning 

"  As  soon  as  the  wind  it  came  fairly  about, 
That  kept  the  king  in,  and  his  enemies  out, 
He  determin'd  no  longer  confinement  to  bear, 
And  thus  to  the  duchess*  his  mind  did  declare. 

"  Quoth  he,  my  dear  Kenny,  I've  been  tir'd  a  long  while, 
With  living  obscure  in  this  poor  little  Isle; 
And  now  Spain  and  Pretender  have  no  more  mines  to  spring, 
I'm  resolv'd  to  go  home  and  live  like  a  king." 

The  Duchess  approves  of  this,  describes  and 
laughs  at  all  the  proposed  regency,  and  concludes 
with, — 

"  On  the  whole,  I'll  be  hang'd  if  all  over  the  realm, 
There  are  thirteen  such  fools  to  be  put  to  the  helm; 
So  for  this  time  be  easy,  nor  have  jealous  thought, 
They  han't  sense  to  sell  you,  nor  are  worth  being  bought." 

««  'Tis  for  that  (quoth  the  king,  in  very  bad  French,) 
I  chose  them  for  my  regents,  and  you  for  my  wench; 
And  neither,  I'm  sure,  will  my  trust  e'er  betray, 
For  the  devil  won't  take  you  if  I  turn  you  away.'' 

These  various  effusions  of  wit  were  said  to  have 
afforded  the  King  much  amusement ;  and  he 
shewed  upon  several  occasions,  that  he  not  only 

*  Duchess  of  Kendal. 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  37 

could  enjoy  English  humour,  but  even  laugh  at  it 
when  sometimes  employed  against  himself. 

When  Dr.  Younger  was  abroad  upon  his  travels, 
he  passed  some  time  at  the  court  of  Hanover, 
where  he  was  well  received  and  esteemed  by  the 
Princess  Sophia  and  her  family  before  ever  they 
came  into  England.  When  George  I.  succeeded 
to  the  throne,  Dr.  Younger  was  dean  of  Salisbury, 
residentiary  of  St.  Paul's,  and  deputy  clerk  of  the 
closet,  in  which  station  he  had  served  under 
Queen  Anne,  and  was  continued  under  his  suc- 
cessor. The  King  was  very  glad  to  renew  his 
acquaintance  with  him,  and  in  the  closet,  as  he 
stood  waiting  behind  his  chair,  turned  often  and 
talked  with  him,  and  the  more,  as  Dr,  Younger 
did  what  few  could  do,  converse  with  the  King 
in  high  Dutch.  The  King  used  to  call  him  his  Little 
Dean,  and  was  so  condescending  and  gracious  to 
him,  that  he  was  looked  upon,  in  some  measure, 
as  a  favourite,  and  likely  to  rise  to  higher  prefer- 
ment. This  was  by  no  means  agreeable  to  the 
ministers ;  for  Dr.  Younger  was  reputed  to  be 
what  they  called  a  Tory ;  and  a  letter  of  office  was 
sent  to  dismiss  him,  the  King  having  no  further 
occasion  for  his  service.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  King  missed  him,  and  asked  what  was  become 
of  his  little  Dean,  that  now  he  never  saw  him.  It 
was  answered  that  he  was  dead.  "  Dead !"  said 
the  King,  "  I'm  sorry  for  it;  for  I  meant  to  have 


38  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

done  something  for  him."  This  the  ministers  un- 
derstood well  enough,  and  therefore  had  removed 
him  out  of  the  way.  Such  an  imposition,  one 
would  think,  could  hardly  have  been  put  upon 
any  prince.  It  was  a  bold  stroke,  even  when  the 
King  was  a  stranger  to  our  people,  and  a  stranger 
to  our  language  ;  but  even  then  it  did  not  escape 
detection :  for  some  time  after,  the  King  went  a 
progress  into  the  west  of  England,  and  among 
other  places  was  at  Salisbury,  and  in  the  cathedral 
there  seeing  the  dean,  he  called  him  eagerly  up 
to  him,  and  said,  "  My  little  Dean,  I  am  glad 
to  see  you  alive ;  they  told  me  you  were  dead ; 
but  where  have  you  been  all  this  while,  and  what 
has  prevented  my  seeing  you  as  usual?"  He 
mentioned  the  letter  of  dismission  which  he  had 
received,  and  said  he  thought  it  would  ill  become 
him  after  that  to  give  his  Majesty  any  farther 
trouble.  "  Oh!"  said  the  King  warmly,  "  I  per- 
ceive how  this  matter  is  ;  but,"  with  an  oath, 
"  you  shall  be  the  first  bishop  that  I  will  make." 
It  happened,  however,  that  Dr.  Younger  being- 
advanced  in  years,  died  before  any  bishop ;  so 
that  he  never  obtained  the  good  effect  of  the  King's 
gracious  intentions. 

Though  the  Augustan  age  of  literature,  yet  the 
arts  were  but  in  their  infancy  in  England  at  the 
accession  of  the  House  of  Brunswick  ;  and  it  was 
not  to  be  expected  that  a  patron  for  them  could 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  39 

be  found  in  a  Monarch  educated  at  a  little  northern 
German  court.     Nevertheless,  it  is  but  justice  to 
George  I.  to  say   that  he   displayed   a   love  of 
learning  and  science  beyond  what  could  have  been 
hoped  for.     On  his  accession  he   took  particular 
notice   of  Vertue,    who   engraved   an   admirable 
likeness  of  him   from   a  portrait  by   Kneller,    of 
which  many  thousands  were  sold.    The  engraving- 
was  shewn  at  court,  where  it  was  highly  patron- 
ized,   especial    orders   being   given    for    similar 
portraits  of  all  the  branches  of  the  Royal  Family 
then  in  England.     The  Laureatship  was  vacant  at 
the  accession,  which  his  Majesty  graciously  be- 
stowed upon  Nicholas  Rowe,  who  also  received 
grants  of  other  lucrative  places.     He  encouraged 
Dr.  Desaguliers  also,  who  had  then  made  some 
advance  in  rendering  philosophy  popular,  under 
the  patronage  of  the  munificent  Duke  of  Chandos. 
In   1717   Desaguliers   went  through  a   course  of 
lectures  before  the  King  at  Hampton  Court,  with 
which  his  Majesty  was  so  well  pleased,  that  he 
resolved  to  reward  him  with  the  very  valuable 
living  of  Much-Munden  in  Hertfordshire ;  but  in 
this  act  of  generosity  he  was  thwarted  by  minis- 
terial influence,  which  gave  to  politics  what  was 
due  to  science.  The  jarring  of  the  ministerial  with 
the  royal  influence  is  happily  illustrated  by  the 
following  anecdote  respecting  Dr.  Lockyer,  who 
in  the  former  part  of  his  life  was  chaplain  to  the 


40  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

factory  at  Hamburgh,  whence  he  went  every  year 
to  visit  the  court  of  Hanover ;  whereby  he  became 
very  well  known  to  the  King,  who  knew  how  to 
temper  the  cares  of  royalty  with  the  pleasures  of 
private  life,  and  commonly  invited  six  or  eight  of 
his  friends  to  pass  the  evening  with  him.  His 
Majesty  seeing  Dr.  Lockyer  one  day  at  court, 
spoke  to  the  Duchess  of  Ancaster,  who  was  al- 
most always  of  the  party,  that  she  should  ask 
Dr.  Lockyer  to  come  that  evening.  When  the 
company  met  in  the  evening,  Dr.  Lockyer  was 
not  there ;  and  the  King  asked  the  Duchess  if 
she  had  spoken  to  him  as  he  desired.  "  Yes," 
she  said,  "  but  the  doctor  presents  his  humble 
duty  to  your  Majesty,  and  hopes  your  Majesty 
will  have  the  goodness  to  excuse  him  at  present; 
for  he  is  soliciting  some  preferment  from  your 
ministers,  and  he  fears  it  might  be  some  obstacle 
to  him  if  it  should  be  known  that  he  had  the  ho- 
nour of  keeping  such  good  company."  The  King 
laughed  very  heartily,  and  said  he  believed  he 
was  in  the  right.  Not  many  weeks  afterwards 
Dr.  Lockyer  kissed  the  King's  hand  for  the 
deanery  of  Peterborough  ;  and  as  he  was  raising 
himself  from  kneeling,  the  King  inclined  forwards, 
and  with  great  good  humour  whispered  in  his 
ear,  "  Well,  now  doctor  you  will  not  be  afraid  to 
come  in  an  evening :  I  would  have  you  come  this 
evening." 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  41 

Indeed  this  Monarch  seems  to  have  encouraged 
even  the  witty  effusions  of  those  around  him ;  an 
anecdote  of  which  has  been  preserved  : — 

Dr.  Savage,  who  died  in  1747,  travelled  in  his 
younger  days  with  the  Earl  of  Salisbury,  to  whom 
he  was  indebted  for  a  considerable  living  in  Hert- 
fordshire. One  day  at  the  levee,  the  King  asked 
him  how  long  he  had  resided  at  Rome  with 
Lord  Salisbury.  Upon  his  answering  him  how 
long,  "  Why,"  said  the  King,  "  you  staid  there 
long  enough ;  how  is  it  that  you  did  not  convert 
the  pope?" — "  Because,  sir,"  replied  the  doctor, 
"  I  had  nothing  better  to  offer  him." 

It  may  be  recorded  here,  that  the  first  instance 
of  newspapers  giving  prints,  was  in  1723,  when 
portraits  of  "  The  glorious  royal  guard  of  the 
protestant  religion,  King  George  I.  George  Prince 
of  Wales,  and  Prince  Frederic,"  were  presented 
to  the  public  in  the  first  number  of  the  Protestant 
Intelligencer. 

A  short  time  before  his  demise,  George  I. 
founded  the  Royal  Institution  for  the  study  of 
History  at  Cambridge.  He  also  purchased  for 
the  use  of  that  University,  at  a  price  of  six  thou- 
sand guineas,  the  extremely  curious  library  of 
Dr.  Moore,  Bishop  of  Ely,  consisting  of  thirty 
thousand  volumes,  and  which  had  been  much  en- 
riched with  literary  curiosities  by  John  Bagford, 
the  most  skilful  antiquary  of  that  day. 


42 


GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 


He  had  three  maxims  which  he  professed  to 
make  the  rule  of  his  life  : — never  to  forsake  a 
friend — to  endeavour  to  do  justice  to  every  per- 
son— and  not  to  fear  any  one. 

His  frugality  and  economy,  when  only  Elector, 
were  so  remarkable,  that  Toland  declared,  in  a 
pamphlet  published  in  1705,  "  I  need  give  no 
more  particular  proof  of  his  frugality  in  laying  out 
the  public  money,  than  that  all  the  expenses  of 
his  court  (as  to  eating,  drinking,  fire  and  candles, 
and  the  like,)  are  duly  paid  every  Saturday  night. 
The  officers  of  his  army  receive  their  pay  every 
month  ;  and  all  the  civil  list  are  cleared  every 
half  year." 

A  German  nobleman  was  one  day  congratula- 
ting this  monarch  on  his  being  sovereign  of  Great 
Britain  and  Hanover:  "  Rather,"  said  the  King, 
"  congratulate  me  on  having  such  a  subject  in 
one  as  Newton  ;  and  such  a  subject  in  the  other 
as  Leibnitz  !'' 

George  II.,  when  he  came  to  the  crown  in  1727, 
was  a  great  favourite  with  the  people  of  England, 
notwithstanding  his  foreign  birth,  and  the  stiffness 
of  manner  which  he  had  acquired  by  a  constant 
residence  at  the  electoral  capital,  until  a  few  years 
previous  to  his  succeeding  to  the  throne.  Some 
people,  indeed,  endeavoured  to  excite  calumny 
against  him,  by  an  accusation  of  having  burnt 
his   father's  will,  an   account  of  which    may  be 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  43 

seen  in  Walpole's  Reminiscences,  where  it  is 
stated  that  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  pro- 
duced the  will  at  the  council -table,  when  the 
King  took  it  up,  and  walked  out  of  the  room 
without  speaking,  not  an  individual  present  ven- 
turing to  require  the  registering  of  that  document. 

But  Mr.  Nichols  sets  the  matter  at  rest,  in  his 
interesting  "  Recollections,"  as  he  shews  that  by 
the  common  law  of  England,  a  King  of  England 
cannot  dispose  of  property  by  will,  he  only  hold- 
ing that  property  in  his  corporate  capacity;  all 
his  personal  property,  de  facto,  devolving  to  his 
successor. 

He  had  early  distinguished  himself  in  the  field, 
having  served  as  a  volunteer  in  the  army  com- 
manded by  the  immortal  Marlborough  ;  and  at 
the  battle  of  Oudenarde,  (fought  July  11,1 708,) 
his  Highness,  putting  himself  at  the  head  of  a 
squadron  of  Hanoverian  dragoons,  charged  the 
enemy  sword  in  hand  with  the  greatest  intrepi- 
dity. His  horse  was  killed  under  him,  and 
colonel  Luschky,  who  commanded  the  squadron, 
was  slain  by  his  side. 

On  this  occasion  Lord  Halifax  wrote  to  the 
Princess  Sophia  a  congratulatory  letter,  in  which 
he  says,  "  Lord  Stair,  who  brought  the  news,  is 
very  full  of  the  praises  of  the  electoral  Prince,  and 
the  bravery  he  shewed  at  the  head  of  the  Elector's 
troops.     It  is  with  the  utmost  joy  and  satisfaction 


44  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

that  we  talk  of  this  here,  and  make  a  comparison 
between  the  behaviour  of  his  Highness  and  the 
Prince  of  France  and  the  Pretender,  who,  as  we 
hear,  never  came  into  danger,  but  were  spectators 
of  their  own  disgrace  at  a  distance." 

Towards  the  end  of  Queen  Anne's  reign,  the 
friends  of  the  Brunswick  family  were  desirous  that 
the  Prince  should  be  invited  over  publicly  to  the 
English  court :  while  it  is  said  that  Bolino-broke 
and  his  party  were  insidiously  labouring  for  the 
adoption  of  the  son  of  James  II.  On  this,  the  wri- 
ter before  quoted  says,  "  that  the  Queen,  equally 
afraid  of  the  arrival  of  the  Pretender,  and  that  of 
the  Prince  of  Hanover,  in  order  to  prevent  this, 
and  all  similar  attempts,  sent  the  Earl  of  Cla- 
rendon ambassador  to  Hanover,  to  persuade  the 
Elector  not  to  permit  his  son  to  come  over.  The 
Elector  thought  fit  to  obey  the  Queen's  pleasure, 
though  greatly  against  the  will  of  his  mother,  the 
Princess  Sophia,  which  that  princess,  wins  was  a 
high-spirited  woman,  laid  so  heavily  to  heart,  that 
she  fell  sick  and  died  in  a  few  davs  after." 

That  the  Princess  Sophia  died  of  chagrin  on 
such  a  subject  is  not  very  probable ;  but  it  was 
perhaps  in  some  degree  fortunate  for  the  quiet 
settling  of  the  Hanover  dynasty  that  the  Prince 
did  not  proceed  to  London,  as  faction  was  at  that 
period  so  violent,  that  there  were  many  indi- 
viduals   who   would  have  exerted  themselves  to 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  45 

produce  a  personal  breach  between  the  Queen  and 
her  eventual  successor,  which  might  have  led  to 
very  unpleasant  consequences  as  opposition  then 
stood.  That  family  differences  would  have  been 
hailed  as  a  triumph  for  party  is  evident,  from  the 
fact  that,  soon  after  the  Hanover  accession,  the 
Whigs  divided  themselves  into  two  sections,  under 
different  leaders,  who  were  Sunderland,  Stan- 
hope, and  Cadogan,  on  the  one  side,  and  Towns- 
hend,  Walpole,  Devonshire,  with  the  chancellor, 
on  the  other.  The  former  were  victorious,  and 
the  disappointed  party,  out  of  resentment,  paid 
their  court  at  Leicester-house,  with  a  view  to 
some  future  advantage  over  their  adversaries. 
Not  long  afterwards  the  active  mind  of  Walpole 
conceived  a  scheme  for  the  triumph  of  his  political 
friends,  and  the  mortification  of  their  opponents; 
but  when  he  communicated  the  particulars  to  his 
most  intimate  associates,  he  objected  to  the  pro- 
posal of  laying  the  design  before  the  Prince,  saying 
at  the  same  time,  in  his  coarse  manner,  that  "  the 
fat  b — ,  his  wife,"  meaning  the  Princess  Caroline, 
"  would  betray  the  secret,  and  spoil  the  project." 
Some  how  or  other  the  language  of  Walpole 
was  made  known  to  her  royal  highness,  who  very 
naturally  looked  upon  him  with  disgust ;  and  as 
she  had  a  complete  influence  over  her  husband, 
it  was  generally  believed  that  her  dislike  to  the 
person  who  had  treated  her  so  rudely,  would  pro- 


/ 


46  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

duce  a  total  change  in  the  administration  when  he 
came  to  the  throne.  This,  indeed,  would  have 
been  the  case,  had  not  Sir  Robert  availed  himself 
of  the  opportunity  of  letting  the  new  Queen  know 
privately,  that  if  he  was  kept  in  his  post,  he  would 
secure  to  her  a  settlement  of  100,000/.  a-year,  in 
the  event  of  the  King's  demise,  though  Sir  Spen- 
cer Compton  had  openly  proposed  no  more  than 
60,000/.  This  decided  the  matter  at  once ;  for 
the  Queen  sent  back  word,  "  Tell  Sir  Robert  that 
the  fat  b —  has  forgiven  him ; "  and  the  ministry 
remained  without  any  alteration.* 

*  In  a  periodical  work  of  extensive  circulation,  (New 
Monthly  Magazine  for  April  1820,)  we  have  seen  another  ver- 
sion of  this  anecdote.  "  The  wisdom  of  Wal  pole's  first  admi- 
nistration was  attested  by  an  approving  king  and  a  contented 
people:  the  former  was  satisfied  with  the  supplies;  the  latter 
could  not  complain  of  the  pressure  of  taxation.  The  power  of 
that  pacific  minister  appeared  to  rest  on  the  most  secure  foun- 
dation. But  Walpole  had  yet  to  learn  that  in  the  respective 
governments  of  modern  Europe,  the  sex  forms  a  third  estate, 
which  if  dissatisfied,  in  vain  will  the  minister  have  conciliated 
the  other  two.  The  ruling  passion  of  Queen  Caroline  was  am- 
bition. She  guarded  her  influence  with  jealous  vigilance  ;  she 
considered  no  measure  too  vigorous  to  vindicate  it  from  dispute, 
and  no  sacrifice  too  great  to  secure  it  from  danger.  A  woman, 
a  queen  of  such  a  character  would  seldom  neglect  an  occasion 
of  exercising  her  authority.  Walpole's  spleen  was  frequently 
provoked,  by  what  he  considered  her  untimely  interference  or 
impolitic  councils.  On  one  occasion,  when  he  had  delivered 
his  opinion  to  the  privy  council  respecting  a  public  question, 
and  stated  the  reasons  which   induced   him  to  adopt  it,  a  brief 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  47 

Whilst  Prince  of  Wales,  he  had  attracted  public 
attention,  by  the  encouragement  which  he  gave 
to  many  measures  really  patriotic  ;  and  in  none 
more  usefully  than  in  the  encouragement,  indeed 
we  may  say  the  introduction,  of  inoculation  for 
the  small  pox  ;  the  idea  of  which  the  Princess  is 
thought  first  to  have  derived  from  the  information 
of  lady  Mary  Wortley  Montague,  on  her  return 
from  the  Turkish  embassy.  This  was  as  early  as 
1721,  in  which  year  the  Prince  directed  Dr.  Mead 
to  assist  at  the  experimental  inoculation  of  some 
condemned  criminals,  which  succeeded ;  and  im- 

reply  was  made  by  one  of  the  members,  "that  those  councils 
could  not  be  followed — they  would  displease  the  Queen,  tvho 
recommended  other  measures."  The  minister  expressed  his 
impatience  of  contradiction,  with  a  coarse  allusion  to  her  Ma- 
jesty's embonpoint:  "That  fat is  constantly  inter- 
meddling with  public  business.  Why  does  she  not  attend  to 
her  proper  duties,  and  take  care  of  her  family  l"  It  is  now 
matter  of  little  moment  what  opinion  was  adopted.  Walpole 
speedily  forgot  the  dispute  and  its  circumstances.  Indeed,  to 
his  mind  it  could  present  no  singular  recollections :  that  style 
of  language  had  become  quite  familiar  by  habit.  His  conster- 
nation in  a  few  days  can  with  difficulty  be  conceived,  when  he 
was  officially  informed  of  his  dismissal  from  office,  and  from 
the  privy  council.  The  deep  politicians  of  the  day  attributed 
his  fall  to  rival  intrigue,  supported  by  aristocratic  influence. 
Walpole  himself  could  ascribe  it  to  no  other  cause.  After  the 
lapse  of  a  few  years,  the  alarm  created  by  the  King's  illness 
forced  upon  the  attention  of  Parliament,  among  other  measures, 
that  of  assigning  a  suitable  provision  to  his  surviving  consort. 
The  sum  specified  by  ministers  was  considered  by  the  Queen 


48  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

mediately  afterwards  he  caused  two  of  his  own 
daughters  to  undergo  the  apparently  hazardous 
operation,  thus  setting  a  praiseworthy  example  to 
the  people  whom  he  was  soon  to  govern.  The 
princesses  had  the  disorder  most  favourably  ;  and 
a  result  so  fortunate  soon  spread  the  practice 
throughout  the  kingdom,  but  not  without  great 
exertions  on  the  part  of  its  friends,  in  all  of  which 
the  Prince  and  Princess  warmly  participated,  par- 
ticularly when  Mr.  Neale,  an  eminent  divine  of  the 
Independent  persuasion  in  London,  published  a 
book  entitled,  "  A  Narrative  of  the  method  and 
success  of  Inoculating  the  Small  Pox  in  New 
England,  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Coleman ;  with  a 
Reply  to  the  Objections  made  against  it  from 
scruples  of  conscience,  in  a  Letter  from  a  minister 
at  Boston  :  to  which  is  now  prefixed  an  historical 

inadequate  to  the  proper  maintenance  of  her  state  and  dignity. 
The  minister  firmly  refused  an  augmentation.  At  this  favour- 
able contingency,  Walpole  sent,  with  his  respectful  homages, 
an  assurance  to  her  Majesty,  that  if  he  were  restored  to  office, 
he  would  carry  through  both  Houses  a  vote  to  the  amount  she 
had  specified.  The  Queen's  answer  was  emphatically  perspi- 
cuous.    "Give  him  my   compliments,  and  tell   him    that,  on 

the  condition  he  proposes,  the  fat forgives,  and  will 

reinstate  him."  Sir  Robert  Walpole  for  the  first  time,  beheld 
the  rock  on  which  all  his  honours  had  been  wrecked.  The 
wisdom  of  the  British  monarch,  like  that  of  his  majesty  of 
ancient  Rome,  was  traced  to  the  furtive  wooings  of  an  Egeria, 
and  the  minister  resolved  to  be  more  discreet  in  the  application 
of  coarse  invective." 


HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  49 

Introduction."  On  the  appearance  of  this  book, 
her  royal  highness  Caroline  Princess  of  Wales 
sent  to  Mr.  Neale,  to  desire  him  to  wait  upon  her, 
that  she  might  receive  from  him  further  satisfaction 
concerning  the  practice  of  inoculation.  He  was 
accordingly  introduced  by  a  physician  of  the  royal 
family,  and  was  received  by  the  Princess  in  her 
closet,  where  he  found  her  reading  Fox's  Marty- 
rology.  Her  royal  highness  did  him  the  honour 
of  entering  into  a  free  conversation  with  him  for 
near  an  hour,  on  the  subject  of  inoculation,  and 
afterwards  on  other  points,  particularly  the  state 
of  the  dissenting  interest  in  England,  and  that  of 
religion  in  the  colonies.  After  some  time  the 
Prince  of  Wales  came  into  the  room,  and  conde- 
scended to  take  part  in  the  conversation  for  about 
a  quarter  of  an  hour. 

The  manners  of  the  court  and  of  the  people 
of  high  fashion,  at  the  accession  of  George  II. 
are  well  exemplified  by  an  anecdote  of  Gay, 
the  author  of  the  Beggars  Opera,  whose  comic 
opera  of  "Polly"  gave  such  extraordinary  offence 
to  Queen  Caroline,  that  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Queensberry  became  voluntary  exiles  from  the 
court  in  consequence  of  their  friendship  for  the 
author. — There  is  a  remarkable  account  of  this 
affair  in  a  letter  from  Gay  to  Dean  Swift,  dated 
March  18,  1728-9.  The  original  is  in  the  British 
Museum. 

VOL.    I.  e 


/ 


50  GEORCxE    THE    THIRD, 

"  You  must  undoubtedly  have  heard  that  the 
Duchess  took  up  my  defence  with  the  King  and 
Queen  in  the  cause  of  my  play  :  and  that  she 
hath  been  forbid  the  court  for  interesting  herself 
to  increase  my  fortune,  by  the  publication  of  it 
without  being  acted.  The  Duke  too  hath  given 
up  his  employments,  which  he  would  have  done 
if  the  Duchess  had  not  met  with  this  treatment, 
upon  account  of  ill-usage  from  the  ministers  :  but 
this  hastened  him  in  what  he  had  determined. 

"  The  Duchess  of  Queensberry's  answer  to  the 
King  and  Queen,  upon  her  being  forbid  the  court, 
which  was  delivered  by  the  vice-chamberlain  in 
writing,  upon  his  scrupling  to  carry  it  by  word  of 
mouth  : 

'  The  Duchess  of  Queensberry  is  surprised 
and  well  pleased  that  the  King  has  given  her  so 
agreeable  a  command,  as  forbidding  her  the  court, 
where  she  never  came  for  diversion,  but  to  bestow 
a  very  great  civility  upon  the  King  and  Queen. 
She  hopes,  that  by  so  unprecedented  an  order  as 
this,  the  King  will  see  as  few  as  she  wishes  at  his 
court,  particularly  such  as  dare  think  or  speak 
truth.  I  dare  not  do  otherwise,  nor  ought  not  : 
nor  could  I  have  imagined,  but  that  it  would  have 
been  the  highest  compliment  I  could  possibly  pay 
the  King  and  Queen,  to  support  truth  and  in- 
nocence in  their  house. 

C.  Queensberry.' 


HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  51 

"  P.  S.  Particularly  when  the  King  and  Queen 
told  me  they  had  not  read  Mr.  Gay's  plays.  I 
have  certainly  done  right  then  to  justify  my  own 
behaviour,  rather  than  act  like  his  grace  of  Graf- 
ton, who  has  neither  made  use  of  truth,  honour, 
nor  judgment,  in  this  whole  affair,  either  for  him- 
self or  his  friends." 

Prince  Frederick,  the  King's  eldest  son,  born  in 
1706,  had  hitherto  resided  in  Hanover;  but  some 
doubts  having  been  expressed,  whether  the  heir 
apparent  ought  not  to  reside  in  Great  Britain,  it 
was  at  length  determined  in  1728  that  he  should 
come  over :  his  arrival  took  place  on  the  4th  of 
December,  and  in  a  few  weeks  he  was  intro- 
duced into  the  Privy  Council,  and  created  Prince 
of  Wales.  Shortly  afterwards,  his  royal  father, 
wishing  to  extend  the  alliance  already  subsisting 
between  his  house  and  that  of  Prussia,  by  a 
double  marriage  with  their  respective  children, 
sent  over  Sir  Charles  Hotham,  about  the  year 
1729,  as  minister  plenipotentiary  to  the  King  of 
Prussia,  to  propose  a  marriage  between  the  Prince 
of  Wales  and  the  eldest  Princess  of  Prussia  :  and 
another  between  the  Prince  Royal  of  Prussia,  and 
the  King  of  England's  second  daughter.  His 
Prussian  Majesty's  answer  was,  "that  he  would 
consent  to  the  marriage  of  his  Prince  Royal  with 
our  Princess,  if  our  King  did  not  insist  upon  a 
double  marriage  on  the  terms  proposed  ;  but  that 

e  2 


52  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

if  he  did,  he  would  not  consent  to  either  of  them ; 
for  he  thought  he  had  as  much  right  to  expect  our 
Princess  Royal  for  his  eldest  son,  as  our  King  had 
to  expect  his  Princess  Royal  for  his  Prince  of 
Wales."  The  two  Kings  persisting  in  their  reso- 
lutions, there  was  ah  end  of  the  negotiation,  but 
not  of  the  difference. 

About  the  same  time,  a  dispute  respecting 
Mecklenburg  contributed,  with  this  family  quarrel, 
to  irritate  the  two  Monarchs  more  bitterly  against 
each  other.  Emissaries  were  employed  to  inveigle 
many  of  the  King's  Hanoverian  subjects  into  the 
Prussian  service,  which  produced  ineffectual 
remonstrances,  and  measures  of  retaliation.  The 
two  Sovereigns  corresponded  with  each  other 
in  terms  very  little  becoming  their  quality  ;  and 
having  exhausted  the  vocabulary  of  virulent  epi- 
thets, they  came,  at  last,  to  the  determination  of 
settling  their  grounds  of  difference  in  a  personal 
interview. 

Bielfeld,  in  his  letters,  says,  that  King  George 
made  choice  of  Brigadier-general  Sutton  for  his 
second,  as  Frederick  did  of  colonel  Derscheim. 
The  territory  of  Hildesheim  was  pitched  upon  for 
the  place  of  meeting;  his  Britannic  Majesty  being 
then  at  Hanover,  and  the  King  of  Prussia  at 
Saltzdahl,  near  Brunswick.  Borck,  the  Prussian 
minister  at  the  court  of  London,  having  been  dis- 
missed from  thence  in  a  very  abrupt  manner,  re- 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  53 

paired  to  his  master  at  the  last-mentioned  place, 
and  finding  him  in  a  violent  passion,  did  not  think 
proper  to  attempt  dissuading  him  from  his  purpose. 
On  the  contrary,  he  affected  to  approve  of  the 
measure,  and  even  offered  to  carry  a  challenge ; 
but  about  an  hour  afterwards,  coming  into  the 
King's  apartment,  he  took  the  liberty  of  saying, 
"  Sire,  I  allow  that  your  Majesty's  quarrel  is  not 
to  be  terminated  in  any  other  way  than  by  a  duel ; 
but  as  you  are  just  recovered  from  a  dangerous 
illness,  and  your  health  being  still  very  precarious, 
should  you  be  taken  with  a  relapse  the  day  before 
the  interview,  or  perhaps  at  the  very  time  when 
it  is  to  take  place,  what  would  the  world  say,  and 
how  would  the  King  of  England  boast !  How 
many  scandalous  constructions  would  be  put  on 
this  accident !  What  an  odious  suspicion  might  it 
not  bring  on  your  Majesty's  courage !  These  things 
considered,  do  not  you  think,  Sire,  it  would  be 
better  to  delay  the  affair  for  a  fortnight  ?" 

The  King  yielded  reluctantly  to  the  force  of 
these  reasons,  and  the  challenge  was  not  sent ; 
the  ministers  on  both  sides  gained  time,  the  choler 
of  the  royal  disputants  abated,  and  the  following 
year  the  quarrel  was  made  up. 

The  Prince  remained  a  bachelor  for  some  years 
afterwards,  living  a  quiet  English  life,  though  not 
unobservant  of  the  politics  of  the  day.  Walpole, 
indeed,  states  that  the  Prince  had  some  thoughts 

/ 


54  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

of  marrying  Lady  Diana  Spencer,  grand -daughter 
of  the  great  Duke  of  Marlborough  ;  her  grand- 
mother, Sarah,  engaging  to  give  her  a  fortune 
of  100,000/.  He  adds,  that  it  would  have 
taken  place,  but  for  Sir  Robert's  opposition. 

His  Majesty  and  Queen  Caroline  generally 
passed  the  summer  months  at  Richmond ;  and  the 
Prince,  admiring  the  scenery  in  that  vicinity,  in 
the  year  1730  first  took  a  long  lease  of  Kew  House 
from  the  Capel  family,  the  fee  of  which  was  many 
years  afterwards  purchased  from  the  Countess 
Dowager  of  Essex  by  George  III.  Here  the  Prince 
began  those  pleasure-grounds,  which  were  not 
quite  completed  until  after  his  demise  by  the 
Princess  Dowager,  and  since  increased  in  size  by 
their  union  with  Richmond  Gardens. 

That  the  Prince,  even  in  youth,  was  by  no 
means  inattentive  to  public  affairs,  is  proved  by 
an  anecdote,  which  states,  that  from  various 
causes,  at  the  beginning  of  his  fathers  reign,  the 
money  appropriated  for  the  payment  of  the  royal 
household  expenses  and  servants'  wages  was 
made  use  of  for  other  purposes,  till  by  degrees, 
instead  of  being  paid  punctually  every  quarter, 
they  at  last  became  above  two  years  in  arrear, 
the  consequences  of  which  were,  that  many  per- 
sons being  obliged  to  borrow  at  very  large  pre- 
miums, were  entirely  ruined  ;  others  were  in  con- 
tinual danger  of  being  thrown  into  prison  ;  while 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  55 

the  Kinsf  himself  was  served  with  the  worst  of 
every  thing ! 

One  day  at  dinner,  the  King  actually  com- 
plained to  the  Prince  of  the  badness  of  the  provi- 
sions ;  on  which  his  Royal  Highness  caught  at  the 
opportunity,  and  acquainted  the  Monarch  with 
the  distressed  situation  of  his  tradesmen  and  do- 
mestics ;  adding,  that  if  his  Majesty  should  die, 
they  would  certainly  lose  all  that  was  due  to  them. 
The  King  was  astonished,  and  expressed  equal 
concern  and  surprise  ;  and  instantly  spoke  to  Sir 
Robert  Walpole,  then  prime  minister,  on  the  sub- 
ject, insisting  on  some  speedy  method  being  taken 
to  clear  off  the  whole  of  the  arrears.  In  conse- 
quence of  this,  Walpole  had  a  bill  brought  into 
parliament  for  making  good  the  deficiencies  of 
the  civil  list ;  soon  after  which  all  arrears  were 
paid,  and  a  system  adopted  by  means  of  which 
regular  payments  ever  after  took  place  at  the  close 
of  each  quarter,  so  that  on  the  royal  demise  the 
current  debts  were  merely  of  a  trifling  amount 
during  the  broken  quarter 

Even  at  this  early  period,  the  Prince  was  looked 
up  to  as  a  patron  of  literature;  and  in  1732, 
Tindal  having  dedicated  to  him  his  edition  of 
Rapin,  his  Royal  Highness  sent  that  gentleman 
a  gold  medal,  worth  forty  guineas,  as  a  mark  of 
distinction  and  of  future  favour. 

/Tt  has  been  said  of  the  great  Duke  of  Marlbu- 


5G  GEORGE    THE   THIRD, 

rough,  that,  so  engaging  were  his  manners  and 
deportment,  he  made  as  many  friends  by  refusing 
favours  as  by  granting  them  :  how  far  this  was 
applicable  to  the  parent  of  our  revered  Monarch, 
may  be  drawn  from  the  following  anecdote. 

A  clause  in  the  Tithing  Bill,  relative  to  the 
Quakers,  being  in  agitation  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, in  the  }rear  1735,  a  deputation  from  the 
Friends  waited  on  his  Royal  Highness  to  solicit 
his  interest  in  favour  of  that  clause.  His  answer 
was  every  way  worthy  of  his  high  character : 
"  That,  as  a  friend  to  liberty  in  general,  and  tole- 
ration in  particular,  he  wished  that  they  might 
meet  with  all  proper  favour ;  but,  for  himself,  he 
never  gave  his  vote  in  parliament,  and  it  did  not 
become  his  station  to  influence  his  friends,  or  di- 
rect his  servants :  to  leave  them  entirely  to  their 
own  conscience  and  understanding,  was  a  rule  he 
had  hitherto  prescribed  to  himself,  and  purposed 
through  his  whole  life  to  observe. " 

The  reply  from  Andrew  Pitt,  the  person  who 
spoke  in  the  name  of  the  body,  was  not  less  re- 
markable :  "  May  it  please  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
I  am  greatly  affected  with  thy  excellent  notions  of 
liberty  ;  and  am  more  pleased  with  thy  answer, 
than  if  thou  hadst  granted  to  us  our  request." 

It  has  been  thought  that  the  Prince,  about  this 
period,  did  not  disdain  to  be  an  author ;  and  it  is 
even  asserted  by  Seward  in  his  Anecdotes,   that 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  57 

he  was  a  great  reader  of  French  memoirs,  and 
actually  wrote  the  "  History  of  Prince  Titi,"  in 
imitation  of  them.  Not  trusting  to  his  own  criti- 
cal knowledge  of  the  English  language,  he  gave  it 
to  Ralph,  the  historian,  for  his  correction;  but  that 
gentleman  died  before  the  completion  of  his  task, 
and  the  book  was  found  amongst  his  papers  by  one 
of  his  executors,  and  was  printed  in  1736,  a  copy 
appearing  in  Paris  the  same  year  ;  some,  however, 
think  that  the  French  really  was  the  original. 

The  Prince's  union  with  the  Princess  Augusta 
of  Saxe  Gotha,  born  in  1719,  took  place  in  1736; 
the  particulars  of  which  may  serve  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  times. 

Her  Highness  arrived  in  the  William  and  Mary 
yacht  at  Greenwich,  on  Sunday,  April  25,  1736, 
and  landing  at  the  hospital,  was  conducted  in  one 
of  his  Majesty's  coaches,  by  Lord  Delawar,  to  the 
Queen's  House  in  the  Park,  amidst  the  acclama- 
tions of  thousands  of  spectators.  Her  Highness 
seemed  highly  delighted  with  the  joy  the  people 
expressed  at  her  arrival,  and  had  the  goodness  to 
shew  herself  for  above  half  an  hour  from  the  gal- 
lery towards  the  Park.  The  Prince  of  Wales  came 
to  pay  her  a  visit;  and  their  Majesties,  the  Duke, 
and  Princesses,  sent  their  compliments. 

Monday,  26th.  The  Prince  of  Wales  dined  with 
her  Highness  at  Greenwich,  in  one  of  the  rooms 
towards  the  Park,  the  windows  being  thrown  open, 


58  GKOIUiE    THE    THIRD, 

to  oblige  the  curiosity  of  the  people.  His  Royal 
Highness  afterwards  gave  her  the  diversion  of 
passing  on  the  water,  as  far  as  the  Tower  and 
back  again,  in  his  barge,  finely  adorned,  and  pre- 
ceded by  a  concert  of  music.  The  ships  saluted 
their  Highnesses  all  the  way  they  passed,  and  hung 
out  their  streamers  and  colours,  and  the  river  was 
covered  with  boats.  Their  Highnesses  afterwards 
supped  in  public. 

Tuesday,  27th.  Her  Highness  came  in  his  Ma- 
jesty's coach  from  Greenwich  to  Lambeth,  crossed 
the  water  at  Lambeth,  and  was  brought  in  the 
Queen's  chair,  from  Whitehall  to  St.  James's, 
where  was  a  numerous  and  splendid  court  beyond 
expression.  The  Prince  of  Wales  received  her  at 
the  garden-door;  and  upon  her  sinking  on  her 
knee  to  kiss  his  hand,  he  affectionately  raised  her 
up,  and  twice  saluted  her.  His  Royal  Highness 
led  her  up  stairs  to  their  Majesties'  apartments, 
where,  presenting  her  to  the  King,  her  Highness 
fell  on  her  knee  to  kiss  his  hand,  but  was  gently 
taken  up  and  saluted  by  him.  Her  Highness  was 
then  presented  to  the  Queen  in  like  manner,  and 
afterwards  to  the  Duke  and  Princesses,  who  con- 
gratulated her  on  her  arrival.  Her  Highness  dined 
with  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  Princesses.  At 
eight  the  procession  began  to  the  chapel,  and  the 
joining  of  hands  was  proclaimed  to  the  people  by 
firing  guns.    Her  Highness  was  in  her  hair,  wear- 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  59 

ing  a  crown  with  one  bar  as  Princess  of  Wales, 
and  set  all  over  with  diamonds.  Her  robe  like- 
wise, as  Princess  of  Wales,  being  of  crimson  vel- 
vet, turned  back  with  several  rows  of  ermine,  and 
having  her  train  supported  by  Lady  Caroline 
Lenox,  daughter  to  his  grace  the  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond; Lady  Caroline  Fitzroy,  daughter  to  his 
grace  the  Duke  of  Grafton;  Lady  Caroline  Caven- 
dish, daughter  to  his  grace  the  Duke  of  Devon- 
shire ;  and  Lady  Sophia  Fermor,  daughter  to  the 
Earl  of  Pomfret :  all  of  whom  were  in  virgin 
habits  of  silver  like  the  Princess,  and  adorned 
with  diamonds  not  less  in  value  than  from  20  to 
30,000/.  each.  Her  Highness  was  led  by  his  royal 
highness  the  Duke,  and  conducted  by  his  grace 
the  Duke  of  Grafton,  lord  chamberlain  of  the 
household,  and  the  Lord  Hervey,  vice  chamber- 
lain ;  and  attended  by  the  Countess  of  Effingham, 
and  the  other  ladies  of  the  household.  The  mar- 
riage service  was  read  by  the  Lord  Bishop  of 
London,  dean  of  the  chapel ;  and  after  the  same 
was  over,  a  fine  anthem  was  performed  by  a  great 
number  of  voices  and  instruments.  When  the 
procession  returned,  his  Royal  Highness  led  his 
bri«  ie ;  and  coming  into  the  drawing-room,  their 
Royal  Highnesses  kneeled  down  and  received 
their  Majesties'  blessing.  At  half  an  hour  after  ten, 
their  Majesties  sat  down  to  supper  in  ambigu,  the 
Prince  and  Duke  being  on  the  King's  right  hand, 


60  GEORGE    THE    THIHD, 

and  the  Princess  of  Wales  and  the  four  Princesses 
on  the  Queens  left.  Their  Majesties  retiring  to 
the  apartments  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  the  bride 
was  conducted  to  her  bed-chamber,  and  the  bride- 
groom to  his  dressing-room,  where  the  Duke  un- 
dressed him,  and  his  Majesty  did  his  Royal  High- 
ness the  honour  to  put  on  his  shirt.  The  bride 
was  undressed  by  the  Princesses,  and  being  in  bed 
in  a  rich  undress,  his  Majesty  came  into  the  room 
and  the  Prince  following  soon  after  in  a  night- 
gown of  silver  stuff,  and  cap  of  the  finest  lace ; 
the  quality  were  admitted  to  see  the  bride  and 
bridegroom  sitting  up  in  the  bed,  surrounded  by 
the  Royal  Family.  His  Majesty  was  dressed  in  a 
gold  brocade  turned  up  with  silk,  embroidered 
with  large  flowers  in  silver  and  colours,  as  was  the 
waistcoat :  the  buttons  and  star  were  diamonds. 
Her  Majesty  was  in  a  plain  yellow  silk,  robed  and 
faced  with  pearl,  diamonds,  and  other  jewels  of 
immense  value.  The  Dukes  of  Grafton,  New- 
castle, and  St.  Alban's,  the  Earl  of  Albemarle, 
Lord  Hervey,  col.  Pelham,  and  many  other  no- 
blemen, were  in  gold  brocades  of  3  to  500/.  a  suit. 
The  Duke  of  Marlborough  was  in  a  white  velvet 
and  gold  brocade,  upon  which  was  an  exceedingly 
rich  point  d'Espagne ;  the  Earl  of  Euston  and 
many  others  were  in  clothes  flowered  or  sprigged 
with  gold ;  the  Duke  of  Montagu  in  a  gold  bro- 
caded  tissue.     The  waistcoats  were  universally 


HIS    COURT,    AMD    FAMILY.  Gl 

brocades,  with  large  flowers.  It  was  observed, 
most  of  the  rich  clothes  were  the  manufacture  of 
England ;  and  in  honour  of  our  own  artists,  the 
few  which  wore  French  did  not  come  up  to  these 
in  richness,  goodness,  or  fancy,  as  was  seen  by 
the  clothes  worn  by  the  Royal  Family,  which  were 
all  of  the  British  manufacture.  The  cuffs  of  the 
sleeves  were  universally  deep  and  open,  the  waists 
long,  and  the  plaits  more  sticking  out  than  ever. 
The  ladies  were  principally  in  brocades  of  gold 
and  silver,  and  wore  their  sleeves  much  lower 
than  had  been  done  for  some  time." 

Walpole  in  one  of  his  letters  to  a  friend,  speak- 
ing of  this  marriage,  says,  "  I  believe  the  Princess 
will  have  more  beauties  bestowed  on  her  by  the 
occasional  poets,  than  even  a  painter  would  afford 
her.  They  will  cook  up  a  new  Pandora,  and  in 
the  bottom  of  the  box  inclose  Hope,  that  all  they 
have  said  is  true."  In  another  letter  he  says,  that 
Lord  Baltimore  made  a  whimsical  mistake  in 
speaking  to  the  Prince  on  his  marriage,  "  Sir, 
your  Royal  Highness's  marriage  will  form  a  new 
area  in  the  history  of  England." 

It  is  also  worth  recording,  that  the  first  speech 
ever  made  in  parliament  by  the  illustrious  Pitt, 
the  first  Earl  of  Chatham,  was  to  second  an  ad- 
dress moved  by  Lord,  then  Mr.  Lyttelton,  con- 
gratulatory on  the  marriage  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales. 


62  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

Amongst  the  numerous  epithalamia  on  this  in- 
teresting occasion,  the  following  lines  from  the 
pen  of  Whitehead,  the  Laureat,  deserve  insertion, 
as  containing  a  wish  which  succeeding  events 
fully  gratified. 

"  Such  was  the  age,  so  calm  the  earth's  repose, 
When  Maro  sung,  and  anew  Pollio  rose. 
Oh  !   from  such  omens  may  again  succeed 
Some  glorious  youth  to  grace  the  nuptial  bed ; 
Some  future  Scipio,  good  as  well  as  great; 
Some  young  Marcel lus  with  a  better  fate; 
Some  infant  Frederick,  or  some  George  to  grace 
The  rising  records  of  the  Brunswick  Race." 

It  was  in  the  month  of  August  that  the  unhappy 
fracas  took  place  between  the  King  and  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  the  former  having  for  some  time  looked 
coldly  on  his  son,  in  consequence  of  a  parliamen- 
tary motion  by  Mr.  Pulteney  during  the  preceding 
session,  for  increasing  the  heir-apparent's  income 
to  100,000/.;  his  Majesty  suspecting  that  the 
Prince  favoured  the  Opposition,  and  was  forming 
connexions  unfavourable  to  the  existing  ministry. 

It  is  said  that  the  Princess  of  Wales,  then  in 
parturition  with  the  Princess  Augusta,  had  ad- 
vanced to  the  last  month  of  her  pregnancy  before 
the  King  or  Queen  were  made  acquainted  with  it ; 
and  that  at  the  very  moment  when  her  labour- 
pains  were  coining  on,  the  Prince  had  hurried  her 
from  Hampton  Court  to  St.  James's  Palace,  still 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  63 

keeping  her  state  unknown  to  the  King.  About 
two  hours  after  her  arrival  she  was  delivered ; 
and  when  the  King  was  acquainted  with  the 
event,  he  sent  a  message  to  the  Prince,  signifying 
his  displeasure  at  conduct  which  he  considered  as 
an  indignity  both  to  himself  and  the  Queen.  The 
Prince,  in  several  submissive  letters,  endeavoured 
to  deprecate  his  Majesty's  anger ;  the  Princess 
joined  her  entreaties ;  they  implored  Queen  Caro- 
line's mediation ;  but  all  their  supplications  had 
no  effect :  the  King's  anger  increased ;  but  it  is 
said  that  he  was  imposed  on  by  some  who  found 
their  interest  in  fomenting  this  difference.  In  a 
little  time  he  sent  another  message  to  the  Prince, 
importing  that  his  conduct  had  for  some  time  been 
void  of  all  real  duty ;  that  until  he  withdrew  from 
his  confidence  some  persons  by  whose  advice  he 
was  directed,  he  should  not  reside  in  the  palace  ; 
and  that,  as  soon  as  it  could  be  done  without  pre- 
judice to  the  Princess,  he  should  remove  from  it 
with  all  his  family.  "  In  obedience  to  this  man- 
date, the  Prince  retired  to  Kew,  and  afterwards 
lived  i  t  Cliefden  and  Norfolk  House,  like  a  private 
gentleman ;  cultivating  the  polite  arts  with  un- 
common assiduity;  beloved,  revered,  and  respect- 
ed by  the  whole  nation ;  virtuous,  religious,  and 
beneficent ;  an  affectionate  husband,  a  true  friend, 
and  a  kind  master:  he  possessed  an  enlivening 
genius,  that  like  the  beam  of  glory  added  new 


04  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

lustre,  and  kindled  fresh  warmth,  by  its  appear- 
ance ;  his  countenance  was  cheerful,  his  person 
graceful,  and  all  his  manners  affable  and  engaging; 
none  ever  went  from  his  presence  dissatisfied, 
and  all  ranks  met  him  with  pleasure  and  affection : 
he  was  the  minion  of  a  free  people,  and  the  com- 
panion of  the  wise  and  honest,  by  whom  he  was 
incessantly  courted ;  he  distinguished  himself, 
without  offering  the  least  indecency  as  a  son  or 
subject  to  his  royal  parents,  with  many  noble  and 
worthy  patriots,  by  opposing  the  oppressive  and 
rapacious  designs  of  the  minister." 

Such  was  the  character  given  in  a  political 
pamphlet  published  in  1762  ;  and  we  may  further 
add  that  it  was  at  this  period  he  was  persuaded  by 
Lyttelton  more  particularly  to  patronize  literature 
and  literary  men,  beginning  with  Mallet  and 
Thomson,  and  soon  filling  up  an  extensive  circle. 
Connected  with  this,  we  may  record  that  although 
the  London  Theatres  had  been  long  subject  to  re- 
gulations by  patent,  yet  dramatic  exhibition  had 
been,  in  some  measure,  free ;  but  in  this  year  a 
new  era  took  place,  viz.  the  establishment  of  a 
dramatic  censor,  in  the  person  of  the  Lord  Cham- 
berlain, without  whose  licence  no  new  pieces 
were  to  be  performed.  This  arose  from  the  re- 
presentation of  some  dramatic  jeux  d'esprit  in 
which  Walpole  had  been  severely  satirized,  and 
ludicrously  ridiculed;  and  accordingly  he  had  a 


HIS    C0U11T,    AND    FAMILY.  G5 

bill  brought  in  for  limiting  the  number  of  play- 
houses, and  establishing  a  licence.  The  witty- 
Lord  Chesterfield,  in  the  Peers,  opposed  this  bill 
as  infringing  the  liberty  of  the  press :  but  the 
bill  was  carried  through  by  ministerial  majorities. 
From  the  time  of  the  quarrel,  no  personal  inter- 
views took  place  between  the  Prince  and  his 
parents  until  the  month  of  November,  when 
Queen  Caroline  was  taken  ill,  languished  a  few 
days,  and  expired  of  a  mortification  in  her  bowels 
on  the  20th  of  November,  in  her  55th  year,  univer- 
sally regretted.  It  was  much  lamented  at  the 
time,  that  the  Prince  could  not  be  admitted  into 
her  presence  during  her  last  moments,  to  receive 
her  forgiveness  and  blessing ;  and  this  the  more, 
because  she  enjoyed  the  esteem  of  the  people  at 
large,  though  split  by  party  ;  but  in  that  they 
were  unanimous,  from  her  sagacity,  mildness, 
and  numerous  virtues,  shewing  herself  at  all 
times  as  an  amiable  pattern  of  conjugal  fidelity 
and  affection,  notwithstanding  the  infidelities  of 
her  ro^  i\  partner. 

The  circumstances  of  her  departure,  as  stated 
by  an  eye-witness,  are  highly  deserving  of  re- 
cord. A  little  before  she  expired,  she  said  to  a 
physician,  "  How  long  can  this  last?"  and  on  his 
saying,  "  Your  Majesty  will  soon  be  eased  of  your 
pains,"  her  reply  was,  "  The  sooner  the  better:" 
after  which  she  repeated    a  prayer  of  her  own 

VOI  .   I.  F 


66  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

composing,  in  which  there  was  such  a  flow  of 
natural  eloquence  as  amazed  the  bystanders,  and 
demonstrated  the  power  and  vigour  of  a  great 
and  good  mind. 

When  her  speech  began  to  falter,  and  she  was 
thought  expiring,  she  summoned  all  her  strength, 
and  all  the  power  of  her  departing  spirit,  to  assist 
her  for  one  glorious  moment,  that  she  might  make 
her  end  to  her  immortal  honour,  in  a  manner 
worthy  of  a  good  Christian,  and  worthy  of  herself. 
For  this  purpose  she  desired  to  be  raised  up  in 
her  bed,  and  fearing  that  nature  would  not  hold 
out  long  enough  without  artificial  support,  she 
called  to  have  water  thrown  on  her,  and  a  little 
after  desired  that  it  might  be  repeated ;  by  which 
means  having  gathered  up  some  strength,  she, 
with  the  greatest  composure  and  presence  of 
mind,  requested  her  weeping  royal  relations  to 
kneel  down  and  pray  for  her,  which  they  immedi- 
ately did.  Whilst  they  were  reciting  their  prayers, 
as  well  as  circumstances  of  such  unutterable  dis- 
tress would  admit,  she  said,  "  Pray  aloud,  that  I 
may  hear;"  and  after  the  Lord's  Prayer  was  con- 
cluded, in  which  she  joined  as  well  as  she  could, 

she  said,   "  So !"  and  then  waving  her  hand, 

with  the  utmost  tranquillity  lay  down,  and  uttered 
her  last  sigh !  proving  her  frequent  declaration 
that  "  she  had  made  it  the  business  of  her  life  to 


MIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  67 

discharge  her  duty  to  God  and  man  in  the  best 
manner  she  was  able." 

Through  life  she  had  been  the  patroness  of 
literature  ;  and  amongst  the  numerous  pensioners 
of  her  Majesty's  bounty,  may  be  classed  the  ce- 
lebrated Whiston,  who  was  often  admitted,  not 
only  to  private  parties,  but  also  to  more  familiar 
interviews,  when  she  always  paid  him  his  salary, 
in  the  most  delicate  manner,  by  her  own  hands. 
The  Queen  observed  to  him  one  day,  that  she 
understood  he  was  a  free  speaker,  and  in  the 
habit  of  telling  people  honestly  their  faults  ;  add- 
ing, that  as  no  one  was  without  faults,  she  wished 
to  be  informed  of  her  own.  After  due  reserve  on 
the  part  of  Whiston,  and  even  intreaties  on  the 
part  of  her  Majesty,  the  philosopher  at  length  re- 
plied, "  Well,  since  your  Majesty  insists  upon  it, 
I  must  obey  you.  There  are  abundance  of  people 
who  come  out  of  the  country  every  spring  to 
London  upon  business,  and  they  all  naturally  de- 
sire t  >  see  the  King  and  Queen,  and  have  no  op- 
portunity of  seeing  your  Majesties  so  conveniently 
as  at  the  Chapel  Royal ;  but  these  country  folks, 
who  are  not  used  to  such  things,  when  they  see 
your  Majesty  talking  with  the  King  almost  all  the 
time  of  divine  service,  are  perfectly  astonished, 
and  depart  with  strange  impressions  into  their 
respective  counties,    where  they  make  their  re- 

f  2 


68  GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 

ports  not  at  all  to  your  Majesty's  honour." — "  I 
am  sorry  for  it,"  replied  the  Queen ;  "  I  believe 
there  is  some  truth  in  what  you  say,  and  will 
amend  it." 

Some  weeks  afterwards  the  Queen  renewed  the 
subject,  and  asked  Whiston  for  another  fault ;  but 
he  replied  most  pointedly  and  laconically,  "  Ex- 
cuse me,  Madam,  I  never  mention  a  second  fault 
until  I  see  that  the  first  has  been  remedied!" 

Queen  Caroline  had  a  fine  taste  as  well  as  con- 
siderable literary  talents  ;  and  the  late  Daines 
Barrington,  in  his  very  ingenious  paper  on  the 
progress  of  gardening,  gives  this  account  of  her 
designs  and  improvements  : — 

"  It  is  believed,"  says  he,  "  that  George  I. 
rather  improved  the  gardens  at  Herenhausen  than 
those  of  any  of  his  English  palaces.  In  the  suc- 
ceeding reign,  Queen  Caroline  threw  a  string  of 
ponds  in  Hyde  Park  into  one,  so  as  to  form  what 
is  called  the  Serpentine  River,  from  its  being  not 
exactly  straight,  as  all  ponds  and  canals  were 
before.  She  is  likewise  well  known  to  have 
planted  and  laid  out  the  gardens  both  of  Richmond 
and  Kensington,  upon  a  larger  scale,  and  in  better 
taste,  than  Ave  have  any  instances  before  that 
period.  She  seems  also  to  have  been  the  first 
introducer  of  expensive  buildings  in  gardens,  if 
one  at  Lord  Barrington's  is  excepted." 

This   taste     for    improvement,    however,    had 


HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  69 

nearly  led  her  into  impropriety;  for  it  is  recorded 
that  she  had  formed  a  plan  to  have  St.  James's 
Park  inclosed,  and  shut  up  from  the  public.  This 
plan  she  had  so  far  matured,  as  seriously  to  ask  a 
nobleman  at  court,  how  much  he  thought  it  would 
cost?  who  replied,  "  A  mere  trifle,  madam!  not 
more  than Jif teen  shillings /"  The  Queen  started; 
but  recollecting  that  fifteen  shillings  amounted  to 
three  crowns,  she  felt  the  force  of  his  reply,  and 
gave  up  her  intentions. 

We  have  already  noticed  her  dutiful  conduct 
towards  her  royal  partner ;  and  we  may  add,  that 
she  made  it  a  constant  rule  to  be  with  him  as 
much  as  possible,  always' accompanying  him  even 
in  his  morning  and  evening  garden  walks,  and 
that,  too,  at  times  when  her  own  precarious  health 
required  the  utmost  care  of  her  own  person. 

Her  character  may  be  summed  up  with  this 
observation,  that  although  she  had  such  an  ascen- 
dan"*y  over  the  mind  of  her  husband,  she  never 
abused  it  either  by  encouraging  political  in- 
trigue, or  advancing  any  particular  favourites. 
Yet  it  must  not  be  omitted  that  Lord  Chesterfield 
spoke  differently  of  her;  for  he  says,  "  she  was  a 
woman  of  lively,  pretty  parts.  Her  death  was 
regretted  by  none  but  the  King.  She  died  medi- 
tating projects,  which  must  have  ended  either  in 
her  own  ruin,  or  in  that  of  the  country."  Her 
greatest  ambition  was  to  cultivate  the  esteem  of 


70  GEORGE   THE    THIRD, 

men  of  learning,  as  her  chief  pleasure  consisted 
in  promoting  the  cause  of  virtue,  in  relieving  the 
afflicted,  and  assisting  modest  merit.  She  cor- 
responded with  Leibnitz  on  the  most  friendly 
terms,  but  she  encouraged  Dr.  Clarke  in  his  con- 
troversy with  that  lively,  yet  superficial  metaphy- 
sician; and  the  Doctor  used  to  say,  "  that  she 
understood  what  answers  were  to  be  given  to 
Leibnitz's  arguments,  before  he  drew  up  his  reply 
to  them,  as  well  as  he  himself  did." 

Her  tenderness  for  the  feelings  of  others  was 
always  superior  to  court  etiquette.  Of  this  she 
gave  a  proof  in  the  well-authenticated  anecdote, 
that  one  day  observing  that  one  of  the  princesses 
had  made  one  of  her  ladies  stand  a  long  time 
whilst  she  was  talking  to  her  on  some  trifling 
subject,  the  Queen  determined  to  take  an  early 
opportunity  of  giving  to  her  daughter  a  practical 
reprimand  for  her  conduct,  which  should  carry 
more  weight  with  it  than  a  mere  precept  could 
convey. 

For  this  purpose,  when  her  Royal  Highness 
came  as  usual  to  read  to  her  in  the  evening,  and 
was  drawing  a  chair  to  sit  down,  the  Queen 
motioned  to  her  to  stand,  and  thus  to  commence 
the  amusement  of  the  hour ;  and  for  an  hour  she 
kept  her  standing,  until  seeing  her  almost  ex- 
hausted, her  Majesty  observed,  "  Now,  my  dear 
you  may  sit  down  ;  you  will  thus  be  able  to  judge 


HIS    COURT,    AND     FAMILY.  71 

of  the  impropriety   of  subjecting  others  to  eti- 
quette unnecessarily." 

The  Queen  has  been  accused  of  rather  affecting 
a  fondness  for  learning  than  possessing  any  real 
taste  for  it.  Perhaps  this  may  have  partly  arisen 
from  her  telling  Sale,  the  orientalist,  that  she  read 
Bishop  Butler's  abstruse  book  on  the  Analogy  of 
Religion  to  Human  Nature,  as  the  companion  of 
her  breakfast-table  ;  and  this  too,  a  work  which 
the  learned  Hoadly,  bishop  of  Winchester,  com- 
plained of  as  making  his  head  ache  if  he  only 
looked  into  it. 

It  was  hoped  by  the  nation  that  this  melancholy 
event  would  have  produced  a  reconciliation  be- 
tween its  Monarch  and  heir  apparent ;  but  this 
not  taking  place,  seems  to  give  some  countenance 
to  the  assertion  that  something:  more  than  a  mere 
political  quarrel  had  taken  place,  and  that  an 
additional  reason  was,  some  harsh  language  used 
to  the  Princess,  which  her  husband  resented  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  produce  an  order  for  the  in- 
stant removal  of  himself  and  family.  Thus  stood 
affairs  in  the  beginning  of  1738. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  old  style,  the  Princess  of 
Wales  so  little  expected  a  premature  labour,  that 
in  the  evening  she  amused  herself  in  walking 
with  the  Prince  in  St.  James's  Park :  but  was  taken 
ill  during  the  night,  and  between  six  and  seven 
in  the  morning,  after  her  return  to  Norfolk  house, 


72 


GEORGE    THE    THIRD, 


was  delivered  of  His  late  Majesty,  by  Mrs. 
Cannon  of  Jermyn  Street,  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  being  the  only  great  officer  of  state 
then  present.  As  early  as  five,  Lord  Baltimore 
had  been  sent  to  Kensington  to  acquaint  the  King 
with  the  commencing  labour  of  her  Royal  High- 
ness, and  at  eight  the  Marquis  of  Caernarvon 
announced  the  happy  birth  of  an  heir  presumptive, 
who  was,  however,  only  a  seven  months'  child. 

In  the  course  of  the  day,  the  24th  of  May, 
which  the  subsequent  alteration  of  style  changed 
to  the  4th  of  June  in  the  year  1752,  the  young 
Prince  was  so  extremely  ill  that  fears  were  enter- 
tained for  his  life  :  and  at  eleven  at  night  he  was 
privately  baptized  by  the-Bishop  of  Oxford,  by 
the  name  of  George.  The  next  day  brought 
better  health,  and  the  royal  mother  was  also 
announced  to  be  in  a  fair  way. 

The  poetical  effusion  of  the  Poet  Laureat  on 
this  happy  event  merits  insertion,  as  a  beautiful 
prophetic  compliment  to  the  future  Monarch. 

"Thanks,  Nature!   thanks!   the  finish'd  piece  we  own, 
And  worthy  Frederick's  love,  and  Britain's  throne. 
Th'  impatient  Goddess  first  had  sketch'd  the  plan, 
Yet  ere  she  durst  complete  the  wond'rous  man. 
To  try  her  power,  a  gentler  task  design'd, 
And  form'd  a  pattern  of  the  softer  kind.* 
But  now,  bright  boy,  thy  more  exalted  ray 
Streams  o'er  the  dawn,  and  pours  a  fuller  day  ; 


*  The  Princess  Augusta,  late  Duchess  of  Brunswick. 


HIS    COURT,     AND     FAMILY.  7'> 

Nor  shall,  displeased,  to  thee  her  realms  resign, 
The  earlier  promise  of  the  rising  line. 
And  see  !  what  signs  his  future  worth  proclaim, 
See  !   our  Ascanius  boast  a  noble  flame  ! 
On  the  fair  form  let  vulgar  fancies  trace, 
Some  fond  presage  in  ev'ry  dawning  grace; 
More  unconfin'd,  poetic  transport  roves, 
Sees  all  the  soul,  and  all  the  soul  approves: 
Sees  regal  pride  but  reach  the  exterior  part, 
And  big  with  virtues  beat  the  little  heart ; 
Whilst  from  his  eyes  soft  beams  of  mercy  flow, 
And  liberty  supreme  smiles  on  his  infant  brow. 
Now,  in  herself  secure,  shall  Albion  rise, 
And  the  vain  frowns  of  future  fate  despise  ; 
See  willing  worlds  beneath  her  sceptre  bend, 
And  to  the  verge  of  Time,  her  fame  extend!" 


SECTION  II. 

1738—1760. 

Royal  Baptism  and  Infanci/ — Anecdotes  of  Education  — 
Prince  of  Wales,  anecdotes,  character,  and  demise — 
Death  and  Character  of  George  II. —  Accession  of 
George  III.  fyc.  <kc.  fyc. 


The  public  ceremony  of  baptism  did  not  take 
place  until  the  22d  of  June,  old  style,  and  was 
celebrated  by  the  Bishop  of  Oxford,  as  rector  of 
St.  James's  parish.  It  was  performed  at  Norfolk 
house,  the  godfathers  (by  proxy)  being  the  King 
of  Sweden  and  the  Duke  of  Saxe  Gotha,  and 
the  Queen  of  Prussia  (also  by  proxy)  was  the 
godmother. 

The  Princess,  according  to  etiquette,  sat  on 
a  bed  of  state ;  and  the  full  name  given  was, 
George  William  Frederick*. 

*  As  every  event  connected  with  the  infancy  of  our  lament- 
ed Sovereign  must  excite  a  deep  interest  at  the  present  mo- 
ment, we  cannot  omit  the  following  particulars  from  a  periodi- 
cal work  of  established  repute,  given  on  the  authority  of  a  lady, 


1738.  HIS    COURT,    AND     FAMILY.  75 

A  circumstance  took  place  upon  this  occasion 
which  deserves  particular  notice,  as  it  differs  in 
some  degree  from  modern  practice. 

who,  when  living,  was  personally  acquainted  with  his  Majesty's 
nurse  and  her  daughter. 

"  The  King,  as  most  people  have  heard,  was  a  seven  months' 
child,  and,  from  that  circumstance,  so  weakly  at  the  period  of 
his  birth,  that  serious  apprehensions  were  entertained  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  rear  him.  It  was,  in  consequence, 
thought  advisable  to  wave  the  strict  etiquette  hitherto  main- 
tained, of  having  for  the  Royal  infant  a  nobly  descended  nurse 
in  favour  of  one  of  the  middle  ranks  of  life — the  fine,  healthy* 
fresh-coloured  wife  of  a  gardener,  probably  the  head  gardener 
of  one  of  the  palaces.  This  person,  besides  the  recommenda- 
tions of  an  excellent  constitution,  and  much  experimental  skill, 
was  characterized  by  qualities  which  so  endeared  her  to  the 
King,  that  his  attachment  towards  her  never,  during  her  exist- 
ence, experienced  the  slightest  diminution.  She  possessed 
great  quickness  of  feeling,  much  goodness  of  heart,  with  a  dis- 
position both  disinterested  and  candid. 

"The  two  former  of  these  qualities  appear  to  have  in- 
stantly opened  her  affections  to  the  nursling  offered  to  her 
care:  not,  however,  from  pride,  at  the  idea  of  its  being  a  babe 
of  Royal  blood ;  but  from  the  maternal  tenderness  excited 
while  contemplating  the  delicate  little  being,  whose  frail  te- 
nure on  life  she  was  confident,  under  her  management,  would 
become  strong  and  permanent.  These  feelings  caused  her  at  the 
first  proposal  cheerfully  to  undertake  the  anxious  charge  ;  but 
when  it  was  made  known  to  her,  that,  according  to  the  court 
etiquette,  the  Royal  infant  could  not  be  allowed  to  sleep  with 
her — from  an  etiquette  so  cold,  and,  in  the  present  case,  so 
likely,  in  her  opinion,  to  prove  prejudicial,  she  instantly  re- 
volted, and,  in  terms  both  warm  and  blunt,  thus  expressed  her- 
self:— "  Not  sleep  with  me!  then  you  may  nurse  the  boy 
yourselves." 


76  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1738. 

Two  days  after  the  birth  of  the  Prince,  the 
lord-mayor,  with  several  aldermen  and  the  sheriffs, 
waited  on  the  King  at  Kensington,  not  with  an 

'•  To  no  compromise,  or  rather  reasoning,  offered,  would  she 
listen;  but  continued  resolutely  to  refuse  to  take  charge  of  the 
royal  infant,  if  bound  to  observe  a  ceremony  which  no  argu- 
ment could  make  her  think  otherwise  than  alike  unnatural  and 
unhealthy. 

"  This  refusal  of  an  office,  which  many  persons  would  have 
been  ambitious  of  filling  under  any  restrictions  whatever,  upon 
motives,  too,  so  purely  disinterested,  convinced  those  with 
whom  she  was  in  debate,  of  her  conscientious  belief,  that  unless 
the  infant  Prince  was  intrusted  to  her  sole  management,  she 
must,  in  accepting  the  charge,  engage  to  act  in  opposition 
to  her  own  judgment,  and  thus  sacrifice  what  she  considered 
her  duty  to  him.  Influenced  by  this  conviction,  they  pro- 
perly represented  the  affair  to  the  powers  by  whom  they  were 
employed;  in  consequence  of  which,  the  point  of  court  cere- 
mony was  yielded  to  Mrs. .  To  this  conscientious  ob- 
stinacy on  her  part,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  the  nation 
owes  the  blessing  it  has  for  so  many  years  enjoyed,  of  being 
governed  by  one  of  the  best  of  men,  and  of  kings,  that  ever 
united  in  himself  the  virtues  which  grace  both  characters.  But 
to  return — 

"  The  affection  of  his  Majesty  for  his  nurse  '  grew  with  his 
growth  and  strengthened  with  his  strength  ;'  but  as  his  power 
did  not  keep  pace  with  his  increasing  regard,  it  was  long 
before  he  could  prove  that  regard  to  her  and  her  family  as 
substantially  as  his  heart  yearned  to  do.  His  income  was  con- 
sidered, even  at  that  time,  as  too  limited  for  one  of  his  high 
rank ;  and  of  course,  though  regulated  by  the  strictest  pru- 
dence and  economy,  he  had  little  to  spare,  from  the  necessary 
expenses  of  his  household,  for  the  gratification  of  his  generous 
feelings.     These  were  often  distressingly  called  forth  by   the 


173S.      HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.  77 

address,  which  was  afterwards  presented  in  their 
corporate  capacity,  but  with  their  congratulations, 
and,  as  stated,  Mr.  Baron  Thomson  "  made  their 
compliments"  in  the  following  terms  : 

"  Most  Gracious  Sovereign, 

"The  Lord-Mayor  and  Court  of  Aldermen  of 
the  City  of  London,  most  humbly  intreat  your  Ma- 
jesty's permission  to  congratulate  your  Majesty 
on  the  safe  delivery  of  her  Royal  Highness  the 
Princess  of  Wales  and  the  birth  of  a  Prince. 

"  These  yourMajesty's  most  faithful  and  dutiful 
subjects,  have  a  great  satisfaction  on  every  oppor- 
tunity of  paying  their  personal  duty  to  your  Ma- 
situation  of  his  nurse,  who,  after  he  was  grown  up,  whether 
from  misfortune,  or  from  her  husband's  extravagance,  was  fre- 
quently in  great  want  of  money.  On  these  occasions  she  al- 
ways went  to  the  Prince,  well  knowing  that  if  he  could  relieve 
their  distress,  it  would  immediately  he  clone;  and  if  not,  that 
his  affectionate  sympathy  would  soothe  her  mind. — Never  was 
she  disappointed  of  this  consolation;  for  when  the  Prince 
found  himself  unable  to  administer  to  their  exigencies,  he  has 
actually  been  known  to  mingle  his  tears  with  her's — a  sympathy 
which  speaks  volumes  in  love  and  admiration  of  the  heart  that 
felt  it. 

"  Whether  his  nurse  lived  to  taste  his  Majesty's  generosity 
to  the  full  extent  he  felt  it — if  ever  heard  by  the  writer,  memory 
has  lost;  but  the  daughter  (who  married,  the  writer  thinks,  a 
doctor  of  divinity,  and  was  perhaps  the  King's  foster  sister,)  was 
made  laundress  to  his  Majesty — a  sinecure  place  of  good  emo- 
lument." 


78  GEORGE     THE    THIRD,  1738. 

jesty;  and  it  gives  them  the  highest  joy,  when 
the  occasion  proceeds  from  any  good  attending 
your  Royal  family. 

"  They  esteem  this  addition  to  it  as  a  very 
happy  event,  and  one  of  the  very  many  good  effects 
of  an  alliance  formed  by  your  Majesty's  prudence 
for  strengthening  the  Protestant  interest,  and  for 
the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  this  nation. 

"  Your  Majesty's  constant  vigilance  in  promo- 
ting these  good  ends,  claims  the  most  dutiful  ac- 
knowledgments from  all  your  Majesty's  subjects; 
and  your  late  most  gracious  assurance  of  your 
Majesty's  particular  care  for  the  protection  of 
your  trading  subjects,  and  the  security  of  their 
commerce,  demand,  in  a  more  especial  manner, 
the  most  grateful  return  from  the  Citizens  of 
London.  And  I  have  the  honour  to  assure  your 
Majesty,  that  you  may  always  depend  on  their 
most  affectionate  regard  to  your  Royal  Person,  on 
their  utmost  endeavours,  in  their  sphere,  for  the 
support  of  your  Majesty's  government  upon  all 
occasions,  and  on  their  hearty  wishes  to  your 
Majesty,  of  a  long,  an  easy,  and  a  happy  reign." 

These  really  were  "  Good  old  Times ;"  and  to  this 
honest  old-fashioned  address,  the  King  as  plainly 
replied,  that  he  took  their  congratulations  on  the 
birth  of  a  Prince  very  kindly,  and  looked  upon  it 
as  a  fresh  instance  of  their  duty  and  affection 
towards  him  and  his  family. 


1738.  HIS    COURT,     AND     FAMILY.  79 

The  addresses  on  this  occasion  were  very  nu- 
merous. The  City  of  London  spoke  of  the  birth 
of  the  Prince  as  "  strengthening  and  establishing 
the  religious  and  civil  rights  of  this  country  and 
the  liberties  of  Europe  ;"  adding  "  and  when  in 
course  of  time  this  Prince  shall  come  to  reign,  may 
he,  by  the  example  of  his  Royal  predecessors,  have 
learned  to  rule  a  free  but  obedient  people,  and 
become  the  guardian  of  those  liberties  which,  by 
their  precepts,  he  will  have  been  taught  to  pro- 
tect." Again,  in  their  address  to  the  Royal  parents, 
the  corporation  said, — "  We  doubt  not  but  by 
your  Royal  Highnesses  care,  this  young  Prince 
will  be  early  taught  those  virtuous  maxims  which 
alone  can  make  a  prince  and  people  happy  :  and 
that  by  the  example  of  his  Majesty,  and  your  Royal 
Highnesses,  he  will  learn  also  that  the  glory  as 
well  as  the  security  of  the  throne,  must  be  founded 
in  the  hearts  and  affections  of  the  people." — To 
which  the  Prince  answered,  "  My  son,  I  hope,  may 
come  in  time  to  deserve  the  gratitude  of  a  free 
people,  which  his  Majesty  now  enjoys  :  and  it 
shall  be  my  constant  care  to  instruct  him  that 
true  loyalty  can  only  be  the  result  of  liberty." 

It  was  observed  by  a  political  writer  of  that 
day,  in  speaking  of  the  addresses  to  the  King  and 
Prince,  and  the  royal  answers,  as  examples  of 
loyalty,  freedom,  and  constitutional  feeling,  that, 
"as  far  as  words  will  go,  Cato  and  Brutus  could  not 


SO  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1738. 

have  said  more  in  behalf  of  liberty."  But  how 
different  were  the  proceedings  in  a  neighbouring- 
state,  at  that  very  period,  in  the  answer  of  the 
young  French  King,  Louis  XV.  to  the  remon- 
strance of  his  parliament,  presented  by  the  De- 
puties, with  the  First  President  at  their  head. 

"  Gentlemen, 
"  I  will  order  every  point  you  advance  to  be 
examined.  I  know  that  some  things  are  false  and 
misrepresented.  I  sent  to  acquaint  you  that  your 
remonstrances  were  to  no  effect,  though  they  teaze 
and  fatigue  me  very- much.  I  take  it  extremely 
ill  that  my  parliament  should  presume  to  concern 
themselves  about  the  rights  of  my  kingdom, 
which  belong  only  to  me,  and  for  which  I  am 
accountable."1 

Notwithstanding  the  public  rejoicings  and  joy 
at  this  event,  the  Prince  of  Wales  still  continued 
under  the  Royal  displeasure,  and  an  order  was 
actually  published  in  the  Gazette  forbidding  all 
persons  who  visited  him  from  appearing  at  St. 
James's ;  but  this  only  threw  the  Prince  into  the 
arms  of  the  Opposition,  who  now  became  greatly 
strengthened,  and  Norfolk  house,  in  St.  James's 
Square,  then  his  residence,  actually  appeared  the 
fashionable  court  of  the  day,  not  from  disrespect 
to  the  King,  but  from  the  general  dislike  to  Wal- 
pole. 


1738.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  81 

The  Prince's  establishment  was  at   this   time 
under  such   embarrassments  that  it  was   found 
necessary   to   borrow    money   upon   terms   even 
usurious.    The  Duchess  of  Marlborough  in  one  of 
her  letters  says — "  They  have  found  a  way  in  the 
city  to  borrow  30,000/.  for  the  Prince,  at  10  per 
cent,  interest,  to  pay  his  crying  debts  to  trades- 
people; but  I  doubt  that  sum  will  not  go  very 
far.     The    salaries    in    the    Prince's    family    are 
25,000/.  a  year,  besides  a  good  deal  of  expense 
at  Cliefden  in  building  and  furniture  ;    and  the 
Prince  and  Princess's  allowance  for  their  clothes 
is  6000/.  a  year  each.     I  am  sorry  there  is  such 
an  increase  of  expense  more  than  in  former  times, 
when  there  was  more  money  a  great  deal :  and  I 
really   think  it   would  have  been  more    for   the 
Prince's  interest  if  his  counsellors  had  advised  him 
to  live  only  as  a  great  man,  and  to  give  the  reasons 
for  it ;  and  in  doing  so  he  would  have  made  a 
better  figure,  and  been  safer,  for  nobody  that  does 
not  get  by  it  themselves,  can  possibly  think  the 
contrary  method  a  right  one." 

On  the  17th  of  October,  the  Prince  and  Princess 
of  Wales  arrived  at  Bath,  where  they  were  re- 
ceived by  the  corporation  with  all  formalities,  and 
shortly  after  presented  with  an  address  on  the 
birth-day  of  the  King,  in  which  were  used  the  fol- 
lowing whimsical  though  loyal  expressions — "  In 
a  birth,  to  which  we  owe  the  continuance  of  those 
vol.  i.  t; 


82  GEORGE    THE     THIRD,  1738. 

invaluable  blessings  which  our  successful  struggles 
for  liberty  procured  us  in  that  glorious  act  of  suc- 
cession ;  a  birth  to  which  we  are  indebted,  sir, 
for  your  Royal  person,  in  whose  presence  we  en- 
joy all  possible  happiness,  &c.  Sec.'1 

It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  the  magistrates  actually 
found  it  necessary  to  regulate  the  price  of  provi- 
sions on  account  of  this  Royal  visit. 

Their  Royal  Highnesses  also  visited  Bristol,  and 
accepted  a  grand  entertainment  from  the  corpora- 
tion and  principal  inhabitants ;  and  so  great  was 
the  anxiety  to  see  them,  that  five  pounds  were  re- 
peatedly offered  for  tickets  merely  of  admission 
to  the  apartment  where  it  was  celebrated. 

The  Prince,  before  leaving  Bath,  not  only 
cleared  the  prisons  of  all  debtors,  but  also  made 
a  present  of  one  thousand  guineas  towards  the 
general  hospital. 

In  allusion  to  this  visit,  Cave,  the  publisher, 
giving  an  account  of  a  journey  taken  by  him  in 
the  summer  of  1750  to  Gloucester,  "  As  soon  as 
I  could  ride,"  says  he,  "  I  went  to  Westminster, 
the  seat  of  Mr.  Cambridge,  who  entertained  the 
Prince  there,  and  in  his  boat  on  the  Severn.  He 
kept  me  one  night,  and  took  me  down  part  of  his 
river  to  the  Severn,  where  I  sailed  in  one  of  his 
boats,  and  took  a  view  of  another  of  a  peculiar 
make,  having  two  keels,  or  being  rather  two  long 
canoe?,  connected  bv  a  floor  or  stage.  I  was  then 


17.3D.  HIS    COURT,    AND     FAMILV.  83 

towed  back  again  to  sup  and  repose.  Next  morn- 
ing he  explained  to  me  the  contrivance  of  some 
waterfalls,  which  seem  to  come  from  a  piece  of 
water,  which  is -four  feet  lower.  The  three  follow- 
ing clays  I  spent  in  returning  to  town,  and.  could 
not  find  time  to  write  at  an  inn. 

"  I  need  not  tell  you,  that  the  Prince  appeared 
highly  pleased  with  every  thing  that  Mr.  Cam- 
bridge shewed,  though  he  called  him  upon  deck 
often  to  be  seen  by  the  people  on  the  shore,  who 
came  in  prodigious  crowds,  and  thronged  from 
place  to  place  to  have  a  view  as  often  as  they 
could,  not  satisfied  with  one  ;  so  that  many  who 
came  between  the  towing-line  and  the  bank  of  the 
river,  were  thrown  into  it,  and  his  Royal  Highness 
could  scarce  forbear  laughing,  but  sedately  said 
to  them,  '  I  am  sorry  for  your  condition.' " 

1739. 

On  the  first  anniversary  of  the  birth-day  of  the 
infant  heir  presumptive,  there  was  a  great  con- 
course of  nobility  and  gentry  at  Norfolk  house,  to 
congratulate  their  Royal  Highnesses,  accompanied 
with  a  whimsical  exhibition  of  sixty  youths,  all 
under  twelve  years  of  age,  sons  of  eminent  citi- 
zens, who  had  formed  themselves  into  a  Lillipu- 
tian company  of  foot  soldiers,  in  proper  military 
clothing,  and  arrived  at  Norfolk  house  in  hackney 
coaches,  when  the  Prince  went  to  receive  them 

g  2 


& 


GEORGE    'I  HE    THIRD,  1739- 


with  an  invitation  to  enter.  They  accordingly 
alighted,  formed  into  close  column,  and  marched 
into  the  princely  residence  with  drums  beating, 
colours  flying,  and  music  playing  before  them. 
In  this  order  they  proceeded  up  stairs  into  the 
drawing-room,  where  they  were  received  by  their 
elected  colonel,  Prince  George,  who  was  adorned 
with  a  hat  and  feather ;  after  which  they  were 
permitted  to  kiss  his  hand,  as  well  as  those  of  the 
new-born  Edward,  and  the  Princess  Augusta. 

A  long  period  of  peace  was  then  succeeded  by 
the  commencement  of  a  warfare  which  may  be 
now  said  to  have  continued  nearly  during  the 
whole  life  of  our  lamented  Monarch.  If  peace  is 
a  blessing,  the  nation  was  certainly  indebted  for 
what  they  had  so  long  enjoyed  to  a  minister 
whose  name  has  never  been  very  popular — Wal- 
pole  and  political  corruption  having  been  asserted 
to  be  synonimous.  But  great  allowances  must  be 
made  for  party  spirit,  and  the  peculiar  circum- 
stances of  those  times,  when  there  was  another 
claimant  to  the  throne,  and  the  opinions  of  the 
kingdom  perhaps  nearly  equally  divided. 

It  has  been  said  that  Walpole  preferred  peace 
to  war,  from  a  doubt  of  his  own  abilities ;  for  though 
allowed  to  be  a  good  minister  in  the  knowledge  of 
interior  business,  he  was  not  esteemed  so  accurate 
a  judge  of  continental  matters,  and,  for  this  rea- 
son, he  committed  the  care  of  the  foreign  depart- 


1730.  HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  85 

ment  entirely  to  his  brother  Horace,  who,  it*  he 
had  not  a  quick  and  decided  comprehension  in 
those  matters,  was  allowed  to  understand  them 
very  much  in  detail ;  indeed  so  much,  that  when- 
ever differences  arose  in  the  house  relative  to  the 
dates  or  substances  of  treaties,  manifestoes,  &c. 
he  could,  from  memory,  turn  to  them  with  great 
promptness  and  accuracy. 

Both  brothers  being  at  a  rout  one  night,  the 
lady  of  the  house  pressed  Sir  Robert  very  much 
to  take  a  hand  at  whist,  which  he  declined  :  at  the 
end  of  the  first  rubber  she  again  pressed  him, 
when  he  excused  himself  by  saying,  "I  am  sorry, 
madam,  to  be  under  the  necessity  of  refusing  you 
in  any  request  you  make ;  but  play,  and  the  affairs 
of  the  continent,  I  leave  entirely  to  my  brother." 

One  of  the  great  objects  of  Sir  Robert  Walpole's 
administration  was  to  keep  the  kingdom  in  peace, 
if  possible ;  which  he  contrived  to  do  for  near 
twenty  years,  a  longer  interval  scarcely  occurring 
since  our  wars  with  France  first  began.  In  this; 
great  object,  no  doubt,  he  was  much  assisted  by 
the  pacific  and  political  temper  of  cardinal  Fleury, 
prime  minister  of  France,  and  both  kingdoms 
benefited  much  by  such  a  measure.  Walpole 
was  at  last  forced  into  the  Spanish  war  of  1739, 
partly  by  the  intrigues  of  Opposition,  and  partly 
by  the  restless  character  of  the  public,  who  wished 
for  a  change  at  any  price,  and  by  which  he  soon 


86  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1741-2 

after  lost  his  place.  He  used  jocularly  to  call  this 
war  "  The  War  of  Ears,  in  which  the  head  had  no 
manner  of  concern." 

The  Prince's  family  had  now  retired  to  Cliefden, 
in  Buckinghamshire,  where  an  elegant  but  mode- 
rate festivity  was  kept  up  ;  and  on  the  1st  of 
August,  1740,  an  entertainment  of  a  peculiar  kind 
was  given  by  Frederick  Prince  of  Wales  in  the 
gardens,  in  commemoration  of  the  accession  of  his 
family  to  the  British  throne.  It  consisted  of  the 
appropriate  masque  of  Alfred,  written  for  the  pur- 
pose by  Thomson  and  Mallet;  the  masque  of  the 
Judgment  of  Paris ;  and  some  scenes  from  Rich's 
pantomimes  by  that  performer  and  Lalauze,  with 
dancing  by  Signora  Barbarini,  then  lately  arrived 
from  Paris.  The  whole  was  exhibited  upon  a 
theatre  in  the  garden,  composed  of  plants,  and 
decorated  with  festoons  of  flowers  ;  at  the  end  of 
which  was  erected  a  pavilion  for  the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales,  Prince  George,  and  the  Prin- 
cess Ausrusta,  afterwards  Duchess  of  Brunswick. 
The  performers  in  Alfred  were  Quin  (who  repre- 
sented the  Hermit),  Millward,  Mills,  Selway, 
Mrs.  Clive,  and  Mrs.  Horton.  The  whole  of  the 
entertainment  concluded  with  fireworks  made  by 
Dr.  Desaguliers. 

1741—1742. 

On  the  20th  January,  1741,  the  royal  infants  were 
first  prayed  for  ;  and  the  public  were  much   gra- 


1741-2.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  87 

tified  by  a  reconciliation  between  the  King  and  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  which  was  happily  brought  about 
early  in  the  year  1742,  several  messages  passing 
from  Leicester  house  to  the  Palace  on  the  16th  of 
February,  and  an  interview  taking  place  on  the 
ensuing  day,  at  St.  James's,  at  one  o'clock,  when 
a  most  gracious  reception  sealed  the  happy  event. 
On  this  occasion  the  utmost  joy  was  displayed 
throughout  the  whole  empire ;  in  celebration  of 
which,  also,  the  Prince  did  many  generous  acts, 
particularly  at  Windsor,  where  he  released  twenty- 
four  prisoners,  from  the  debtors'  gaol,  and  gave  to 
each  a  guinea  on  his  liberation* 

The  reconciliation  was  brought  about  in  a  man- 
ner highly  creditable  to  the  Prince  himself;  for 
the  ministers,  finding  themselves  in  repeated  mi- 
norities in  the  new  parliament,  now  thought  of 
strengthening  themselves  by  Royal  Family  con- 
cord, and  the  Earl  of  Cholmondeley  entrusted  the 
Bishop  of  Oxford  with  a  message  to  the  Prince, 
that  if  he  would  write  such  a  letter  as  it  might  be 
consistent  with  his  Majesty's  honour  to  receive, 
then  the  Prince  and  all  that  were  in  his  counsels 
and  confidence  should  be  kindly  received  at  court ; 
that.  50,000/.  per  annum  should  be  added  to  his 
revenue ;  that  200,000/.  should  be  disbursed  to 
pay  his  debts ;  and  that  his  followers  should  be 
provided  for.  The  Prince  instantly  acted  with- 
out consulting  any  one  ;  and  replied,  that  as  he 


88  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1741-2. 

had  the  utmost  duty  for  the  King,  so  whenever 
his  Majesty  should  be  pleased  to  admit  him  to  his 
presence,  he  would  throw  himself  at  his  feet  with- 
out insisting  upon  any  terms  for  himself;  but 
whilst  Sir  Robert  Walpole  managed  the  public 
affairs,  he  could  not  prevail  with  himself  to  give 
any  countenance  to  them.  He  added  that  Wal- 
pole was  a  bar  between  the  King  and  his  people  ; 
between  the  King  and  foreign  powers;  between 
the  King  and  himself;  and  further  said,  explicitly 
and  pointedly,  that  such  was  his  answer,  consider- 
ing the  message  as  coining  from  Walpole,  and  not 
from  his  Royal  Parent. 

Notwithstanding  this  disappointment,  Walpole 
still  struggled  against  minorities  in  the  Commons, 
until  the  2d  of  February,  when  he  declared  that  if 
he  failed  on  the  question  of  the  Chippenham  elec- 
tion, he  would  enter  that  House  no  more.  He  had 
a  majority  of  sixteen  against  him  when  the  divi- 
sion took  place,  on  which  he  left  the  House,  went 
to  St.  James's,  and,  as  was  supposed,  told  the  King 
that  he  was  unable  to  serve  him  longer.  The 
King  immediately  afterwards  went  to  the  House 
of  Peers,  gave  his  assent  to  the  Malt  bill,  and  de- 
sired the  House  to  adjourn  until  the  18th,  on 
which  day  Walpole  took  his  seat  as  Earl  of  Orford, 
after  resigning  all  his  employments. 

The  Prince  certainly  made  himself  very  popular 
by   those  arrangements  ;    and  he  confirmed  that 


1741-2.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  89 

popularity  further  by  the  great  encouragement 
which,  about  this  period,  he  gave  to  British  manu- 
factures ;  he  and  the  Princess  discouraging  the 
wear  of  foreign  goods  in  their  own  family  and 
household. 

The  new  ministry  principally  consisted  of  the 
Prince's  friends;  and  when  his  Royal  Highness 
waited  on  the  King,  attended  by  the  heads  of 
the  preceding  Opposition,  he  was  received  most 
graciously,  the  King,  of  his  own  free  will,  order- 
ing his  guards  to  be  restored. 

Thus  did  Opposition  succeed  in  driving  the 
minister  from  the  station  which  he  had  so  long 
held  ;  but  soon  after  schisms  broke  out  among 
themselves,  through  the  jealousy  of  each  other's 
designs,  and  the  ambition  manifested  by  all  to  gain 
the  ascendancy ;  which  made  the  old  Duke  of 
Argyle  say  sarcastically  to  Pulteney,  "  that  a 
grain  of  honesty  was  worth  a  cart-load  of  gold." 

The  violence,  with  which  Mr.  Pitt  had  attacked 
Sir  Robert  Walpole,  rendered  that  gentleman  very 
obnoxious  to  his  Majesty,  who,  whatever  his  fail- 
ings might  be,  was  certainly  not  deficient  in  gra- 
titude to  those  who  served  him  faithfully.  At 
length,  when  a  change  of  ministers  became  in- 
evitable, the  King,  who  had  little  objection  to  the 
principal  characters  of  the  new  cabinet,  all  at 
once  resisted  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Pitt,  with 
an  obstinacy   which  indicated    personal  dislike. 


90  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1741-2- 

But  it  was  impossible  for  the  rest  of  the  party  to 
come  into  power  without  him,  and  the  Monarch 
was  obliged,  at  last,  reluctantly  to  submit ;  this, 
however,  he  did  with  such  an  ill  grace,  that  when 
Pitt  appeared  in  the  drawing-room,  to  kiss  hands 
on  his  appointment,  the  King  turned  aside,  and 
shed  tears. 

That  Walpole's  mode  of  administration  was  cer- 
tainly corrupt,  we  are  afraid,  cannot  be  contro- 
verted ;  a  fact  too  which  he  himself  never  denied, 
bearing  the  jokes  of  his  friends  upon  that  subject 
with  great  good  humour. 

Having  at  a  dinner-party  repeated  a  line  from 
Horace  containing  the  word  "  Bibisti,"  "  Pray, 
Sir  Robert,"  says  one  of  his  friends,  "  is  that  good 
Latin  ?"■ — "  Why,  I  think  so — what  objection  have 
you  to  it  ?"  "Why,"  says  the  other  drily,  "I 
did  not  know  but  the  word  might  be  bribe-isti  in 
your  Horace/' 

He  often  used  to  complain,  that  when  the  most 
barking  whelps  of  Opposition  were  converted  into 
his  service,  they  sunk  at  once  into  languor  and  in- 
activity. He  used  to  say,  ( and  no  man  knew 
better  than  himself)  that  attack  and  defence  were 
very  different  branches  of  service.  "  Common 
strength  may  pull  down  a  wall,  but  the  skill  of 
a  workman  is  absolutely  necessary  to  rebuild  it." 

Opinions  were  held  in  his  time,  that  the  anni- 
versary of  the  30th  of  January  should  be  abolished 


1741-2.  HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  .       01 

us  a  day  of  public  fast  and  observance.  Talking 
privately  on  this  subject,  one  day,  to  a  member 
of  Opposition,  he  said,  "  I  am  not  so  anxious  to 
see  this  fast  inserted  in  the  calendar  as  a  season 
of  religious  penitence,  but,  I  think,  you  must  allow 
that  it  should  stand  as  a  day  of  great  political 
example." 

When  Sir  Robert  had  any  material  point  to 
carry  in  the  House,  he  used  to  ask  some  of  the 
neutral  members,  along  with  a  party  of  his  staunch 
friends,  to  sup  with  him  the  preceding  evening, 
when  he  seized  the  opportunity  of  using  his  most 
forcible,  and  often  weightiest,  arguments  in  pro- 
ducing converts.  Amongst  other  recorded  anec- 
dotes, the  following  is  as  striking  an  instance  of 
profound  policy  as  perhaps  stands  upon  record 
in  the  annals  of  any  nation.  Having  some  points 
to  carry  in  which  the  bishops  were  interested,  he 
expected  powerful  opposition  from  that  quarter. 
The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  was  indebted  to 
him  entirely  for  his  exaltation  ;  and  as  he  had 
often  made  the  warmest  protestations  of  gratitude, 
Sir  Robert  now  resolved  to  put  him  to  the  test. — 
Accordingly  he  sent  for  him  a  few  days  before  he 
intended  to  bring  his  bill  into  the  House,  and  told 
him  he  had  a  favour  to  request :  the  prelate  re- 
plied, "  he  need  only  ask,  to  obtain  any  thing  in 
his  power  to  grant."  Sir  Robert  then  desired  that 
he  would  closely  confine  himself  to  his  palace  on 


92  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1743-4. 

a  particular  day,  and  give  him  leave  to  assign 
what  reason  he  thought  proper  for  such  a  pro- 
ceeding. The  archbishop  promised  to  observe 
his  patron's  injunctions  faithfully ;  and  this  pro- 
found politician,  on  the  day  of  his  confinement, 
caused  a  report  to  be  circulated  that  his  Grace  of 
Canterbury  was  suddenly  taken  ill,  and  even  lay 
at  the  point  of  death.  He  introduced  his  bill,  and 
as  each  of  the  bench,  from  their  expectation  of 
preferment,  wished  to  please  him,  and  were  ab- 
sent, the  bill  passed  without  much  difficulty ;  at 
least  so  said  scandalous  report. 

1743—1744. 

The  war  having  now  extended  to  the  continent, 
the  King,  anxious  for  the  safety  of  Hanover,  put 
himself  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  where,  on  many 
occasions,  he  manifested  generalship  as  well  as 
personal  courage ;  passing  his  summers  in  the 
field,  and  his  winters  in  the  British  capital. 

At  the  battle  of  Dettingen  he  rode  on  a  very 
unruly  horse,  which,  at  one  period,  ran  away  with 
him  to  a  considerable  distance,  until  ensign  Tra- 
paud,  afterwards  general,  seized  the  bridle,  when 
the  King  dismounted,  exclaiming,  "  Now  that  1 
am  on  my  legs,  I  am  sure  that  I  shall  not  run 
away."  At  the  same  battle,  the  gens  d'armes, 
the  flower  of  the  French  army,  made  a  desperate 
charge  on  the  British  line  opposed  to  them,  and 


1743-4.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  93 

were  repulsed.  In  their  retreat  they  were  at- 
tacked by  the  Scotch  Greys,  and  pushed  into  the 
River.  During*  the  charge  of  these  cuirassiers, 
their  point  of  attack  was  a  Scottish  regiment  of 
infantry,  commanded  by  Sir  Andrew  Agnew, 
who,  judging  it  impossible  to  oppose  them  by 
force,  had  recourse  to  stratagem  ;  ordering  his 
men  to  fall  back  from  centre,  by  right  and  left, 
as  they  advanced,  and  then  to  bayonet  their 
horses  as  soon  as  they  should  fairly  enter  the 
opening,  when  they  might  kill  the  riders  at  their 
leisure.  The  French,  seeing  the  line  broken, 
dashed  in,  but  soon  found  their  mistake,  when 
the  remainder  retired,  and  were  charged  as 
above  stated.  After  the  action,  the  King  said, 
"  Sir  Andrew,  the  gens  darmes  got  in  amongst 
you  to  day!  "  "  Yes,  please  your  Majesty,"  said 
the  brave  Caledonian,  "  but  they  didna  get  oot 
again!'* — Some  years  after,  at  a  review  of  the 
Scotch  Greys,  his  Majesty,  after  applauding 
their  appearance,  turned  to  the  French  ambas- 
sador, and  asked  him  his  opinion  of  the  regiment, 
adding,  in  his  exulting  manner,  that  they  were 
the  best  troops  in  the  world.  The  ambassador 
replied,  "  Has  your  Majesty  never  seen  the  gens 
darmes?"  "  No,"  rejoined  the  King,  "  but  my 
Greys  have.'1 

The  good-humoured  forbearance  of  this  Monarch 
was  exemplified  in  the  well-known  anecdote  of 


94  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1743-4. 

his  adventure  with  a  sordid  innkeeper,  between 
tlie  Brill  and  Helvoetsluys,  when  his  carriage 
broke  down  on  his  return  to  England,  through 
Holland,  from  his  German  dominions.  No  shelter 
was  near  but  an  obscure  public-house,  where  he 
was  forced  to  stop,  whilst  some  of  the  royal  re- 
tinue went  forward  to  procure  another  carriage, 
the  King  solacing  himself  with  what  refreshment 
the  house  afforded,  and  which  consisted  merely  of 
a  pot  of  coffee  for  himself  and  Lord  Delawar,  and 
four  bottles  of  Dutch  snaps  for  the  footmen.  The 
bill  being  called  for,  the  greedy  Dutchman,  who 
was  aware  of  the  rank  of  his  guest,  presented  a 
most  extraordinary  charge,  amounting  to  some- 
thing near  100/.  sterling.  Lord  Delawar  then  in- 
quired if  coffee  and  gin  were  so  rare  in  that 
country.  "  No,'1  replied  the  fellow,  "  but  kings 
are  ! ''  His  Majesty  laughed  at  the  Dutchman's 
wit,  acknowledged  that  he  was  a  rogue,  but  said, 
"  Pay  him ;  kings  seldom  come  this  way.'' 

During  the  war  of  1743,  a  victory  gained  over 
the  French  was  celebrated  not  only  by  public  re- 
joicings, but  by  an  ode  set  to  music,  which  was 
repeated  frequently  before  the  King,  in  the  great 
council  chamber  at  St.  James's.  On  these  occa- 
sions his  Majesty  always  appeared  in  the  hat, 
coat,  sword,  and  scarf,  which  he  wore  at  the 
battle  of  Oudenarde  in  1708,  when  he  fought  un- 
der the  orders  of  the  Duke  of  Marlborough.    But 


1743-4.  IMS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  95 

as  the  fashion  had  often,  changed  during  the  space 
of  forty  years,  it  was  difficult  to  refrain  from 
laughing  at  the  singular  figure  which  the  King- 
cut  at  these  times,  when  he  walked  about  the  cir- 
cle in  such  antiquated  habiliments.  On  one  of 
these  days  the  following  couplet  was  repeated  in 
full  chorus  : 

"  Sure  such  a  day  was  never  known, 
Such  a  king  !  and  such  a  throne  !  *' 

This  at  once  directed  the  attention  of  the  audience 
to  the  Monarch,  and  set  the  whole  circle  in  such 
a  humour,  as  might  have  created  some  unpleasant 
confusion,  if  one  of  the  lords  had  not,  by  a  timely 
presence  of  mind,  begun  to  clap  the  couplet, 
which  hint  was  taken  by  the  rest  of  the  company  ; 
and  the  applause  became  so  general,  that  the 
good  old  man,  instead  of  taking  offence,  was  flat- 
tered with  the  compliment. 

At  this  period,  the  young  Prince,  though  scarcely 
six  years  old,  displayed  such  abilities,  that  he  was 
taken  from  the  nursery,  and  placed  solely  under 
the  care  of  his  first  tutor,  Dr.  Francis  Ayscough, 
afterwards  Bishop  of  Bristol,  and  who  was,  per- 
haps, in  some  measure  indebted  for  his  selection 
to  this  high  office,  to  the  interest  of  Lord  Lyttel- 
ton,  whose  sister  he  married.  But,  independent 
of  this,  the  worthy  Doctor  appears,  by  his  mo- 
desty and   candour,  to  have  been  well  qualified 


06  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1743-4. 

for  his  duty,  as  is  exemplified  in  a  letter  to  the 
learned  and  pious  Dr.  Doddridge,  written  in  1744, 
where  he  says,  "  I  thank  God  I  have  one  great 
encouragement  to  quicken  me  in  my  duty,  which 
is  the  good  disposition  of  the  children  entrusted 
to  me;  as  an  instance,  I  must  tell  you,  that 
Prince  George  (to  his  honour  and  my  shame)  had 
learnt  several  pages  in  your  book  of  verses,  with- 
out any  direction  from  me.'' 

It  certainly  manifested  a  liberal  and  tolerant 
spirit  in  Dr.  Ayscough,  to  place  in  the  hands  of 
the  future  Monarch  of  England,  the  productions 
of  the    master    of    a    dissenting    academy;    of 
which  it  may  be  said,  that  neither  the  tutor,  the 
King,  the  church,  the  nation,   nor  the  world,  will 
ever  have  cause  to  regret  the  circumstance.  That 
the  church  of  England  has  every  reason  to  acqui- 
esce in  this,  and  that  all  sects  have  reason  to  re- 
joice in  it,   require  no   proof.     Its  effects  have 
long  been    self-evident;    for  never  did    a  more 
generous,  a  more  scriptural,  or  a  more  protestant 
principle  ever  escape  the  lips  of  any  one  than  of 
this  child,  when  he  became  a  King,  when  he  ex- 
pressed a  wish  that  every  subject  in  his  realm 
might  read  the  Bible.  Perhaps  those  lines,  which 
he  had  committed  to  his  memory  when  a  child, 
laid  the  foundation  of  that  uniform  zeal  which  he 
discovered  for  the  universal  distribution  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  and  the  education  of  all  persons 


1743-4.         ins  court,   and  family.  07 

in  the  principles  of  Christianity.  Indeed,  his 
Royal  Parents  seem  always  to  have  been  anxi- 
ous to  associate  as  much  as  possible  in  their  fa- 
mily way  with  all  the  dignitaries  of  the  clergy, 
which  may  have  had  a  powerful  effect  upon  the 
mind  of  the  young  heir-presumptive,  in  leading 
him  to  have  a  personal  regard  for  the  dignified 
servants  of  the  church. 

Amongst  other  anecdotes  of  those  mitred  visi- 
tors, one  is  told  of  Dr.  Thomas,  bishop  of  Salis- 
bury, who,  holding  his  visitation  in  Buckingham- 
shire, and  confirming  the  young  gentlemen  at 
Eton,  received  an  invitation  from  the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales  to  dine  with  them  at  Cliefden; 
when  he  said  that  nothing  was  ever  more  pleasing 
than  their  ease  and  condescension.  They  dined 
quite  in  a  family  way,  and  after  dinner  the  chil- 
dren were  called  in  to  the  dessert,  and  were 
made  to  repeat  several  beautiful  passages  out  of 
plays  and  poems;  and,  upon  the  whole,  he  never 
passed  a  more  agreeable  day  in  all  his  life.  This 
was  reported  to  the  King,  with  a  view  to  prejudice 
him  in  the  King's  opinion,  for  his  familiarity  with 
the  Prince.  "  What  had  he  to  do  at  Cliefden  ?•' 
said  the  King ;  "  What  brought  him  into  those 
parts  ? "  When  it  was  answered  that  he  was  there 
upon  his  visitation,  "  Oh,"  said  the  King,  "  I  find 
it  was  no  private  affair,  as  he  was  there  in  a  public 
capacity ;  if  he  had   failed  in  proper   respect  to 

VOL.   I.  h 


98  GEOUGE    THE    T11IKD,  1743-4. 

any  part  of  my  family,  I  should  have  had  reason 
to  be  angry  indeed."' 

Of  Dr.  Ayscough's  residence  at  Cliefden,  as 
tutor,  the  following  anecdote  has  been  preserved 
by  Mr.  Nichols,  in  his  Literary  Anecdotes,  where 
it  is  stated  that  the  Prince  of  Wales  brought  Dr. 
Ayscough  with  him  on  a  morning  visit  to  Eton 
from  Cliefden,  whilst  the  royal  pupils  were  left 
studying  a  Greek  lesson  until  their  preceptors 
return.  The  visit  to  Eton  was  intended  for  Dr. 
George,  who  happened  at  that  moment  to  be  en- 
gaged in  the  Homer  lesson  with  his  scholars;  and 
as  the  Prince  could  not  wait  his  return  to  chambers, 
he  and  the  doctor  amused  themselves  by  peep- 
ing through  certain  apertures  in  the  great  doors  of 
the  school,  where  the  attitudes,  action,  and  man- 
ner of  the  Eton  master  could  be  observed  with 
ease.  The  knowledge  of  this  visit  having  come  to 
the  ears  of  Dr.  George,  and  that  day  being  a  half- 
holiday,  he  determined  instantly  to  return  the 
visit,  and  accordingly  set  off  for  Cliefden,  when 
the  Prince  expressed  his  regret  that  the  Doctor 
had  not  arrived  half  an  hour  sooner,  when  he  would 
have  been  excessively  diverted,  as  himself  had 
been,  in  seeing  Ayscough  take  him  off  so  exactly 
in  the  Greek  lesson  with  the  young  Princes;  but 
George  did  not  see  matters  in  that  very  amusing- 
light,  and  accordingly  he  took  himself  off  with  all 
decent  rapidity,  without  waiting  for  Ayscough's 


1745.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  99 

return  with  the  Princes  from  the  garden,  having 
no  inclination  for  a  repetition  of  the  joke. 

1745. 

It  is  irrelevant  to  our  subject  to  enter  into  any 
details  of  the  rebellion  in  1745,  further  than  to 
notice  that  the  King  was  much  annoyed  by  the 
conduct  of  the  Newcastle  ministry,  who,  soon 
after  the  battle  of  Culloden,  being  dissatisfied 
with  his  Majesty  for  checking  their  power,  deter- 
mined to  resign,  endangering  the  nation  by  dis- 
tracted counsels,  for  the  purpose  of  distressing 
their  Monarch.  The  King  however  displayed 
great  energy  upon  this  occasion,  and  instantly 
gave  both  the  seals  to  Lord  Granville,  till  affairs 
could  be  settled ;  but  immediately  afterwards,  he 
found  himself  obliged  to  submit,  and  to  grant  his 
dutiful  servants  what  they  demanded. 

While  this  unpleasant  business  was  going  on,  Earl 
Granville  was  with  his  Majesty  one  evening,  and 
the  conversation  turning  upon  the  resignations, 
the  King  expressed  his  regret  at  being  told  that 
the  Duke  of  Grafton,  who  was  rather  a  favourite, 
intended  to  throw  up  his  place  the  next  morning. 
"That,"  said  the  Earl,  "may  be  very  easily  pre- 
vented." "As  how?"  replied  the  King  quickly. 
"Why,"  said  his  Lordship,  "by  your  Majesty's 
turning  him  out  this  night." 

Though  obliged  to  receive  back  his  Ministers, 

ii   2 


100  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1745. 

the  King  did  not  choose  to  trust  to  them,  as  he 
exemplified  on  one  occasion,  when  the  cabinet 
assembled  to  take  proper  measures  for  the  secu- 
rity of  the  kingdom.  While  they  were  sitting,  the 
King  entered  the  council  chamber,  and  requested 
to  know  what  was  the  subject  of  their  delibera- 
tions ;  and  on  being  told  that  they  were  consult- 
ing how  to  provide  for  the  safety  of  his  Majesty's 
person  and  government,  "  Aye,  is  it  so?"  replied 
the  Monarch,  laying  his  hand  upon  the  hilt  of  his 
sword,  "  my  Lords  and  Gentlemen,  take  care  of 
yourselves  ;  but  for  me,  it  is  my  resolution  to  live 
and  die  King  of  England." 

It  has  been  said,  upon  good  authority,  that  the 
Pretender  *  actually  was  in  London  previous  to 

*  The  following  character  and  description  of  the  Pretender 
and  his  brother,  are  said  to  have  been  drawn  up  by  an  eminent 
legal  peer,  long  since  deceased,  at  the  particular  request  of 
the  Princess  Dowager,  whose  curiosity  on  this  subject  had 
been  highly  excited  by  the  dangers  which  threatened  her 
family. 

"  Charles  Edward,  the  eldest  son  of  the  Chevalier  de  St. 
George,[1s  tall  above  the  common  stature:  his  limbs  are  cast 
in  the  most  exact  mould  ;  his  complexion  has  in  it  something 
of  an  uncommon  delicacy  ;  all  his  features  are  perfectly  regu- 
lar and  well-turned,  and  his  eyes  the  finest  I  ever  saw.  But 
that  which  shines  most  in  him,  and  renders  him  without  excep- 
tion the  most  surprisingly  handsome  person  of  the  age,  is  the 
dignity  that  accompanies  his  every  gesture.  There  is  indeed 
such  an  unspeakable  majesty  diffused  through  his  whole  mien 
and  air,  as  it  is  impossible  to  have  any  idea  of  without  seeing; 


1745.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  101 

the  rebellion  breaking  out,  when  he  saw  many  of 
his  principal  friends,  and  concerted  measures  with 
them  for  his  further  proceedings.  The  advice 
which  they  gave  him  was  that  he  should  march 
direct  to  London  before  a  force  could  be  collected 
to  oppose  him.  They  assured  him  that  many 
would  rise  in  his  favour  ;  but  he  seems  to  have 
been  doubtful  of  the  general  good  reception  ;  at 
least  he  was  dissuaded  from  the  daring  plan,  on 
his  return  to  Carlisle,  where  he  adopted  a  line  of 

and  strikes  those  that  do  with  such  an  awe  as  will  not  suffer 
them  to  look  upon  him  for  any  time,  unless  he  emboldens 
them  to  it  by  his  excessive  affability. 

"Thus  much,  Madam,  as  to  the  person  of  the  Prince.  His 
mind  (by  all  I  can  judge  of  it)  is  no  less  worthy  of  admiration. 
He  seems  to  me,  and  (I  find)  to  all  that  know  him,  to  have  all 
the  good-nature  of  the  Stuart  family  blended  with  the  spirit  of 
the  Sobieskis.  He  is,  at  least  as  far  as  I  am  capable  of  seeing 
into  men,  equally  qualified  to  preside  in  peace  and  war.  As  for 
his  learning,  it  is  extensive  beyond  what  could  be  expected 
from  double  the  number  of  his  years.  He  speaks  most  of  the 
European  languages  with  the  same  ease  and  fluency,  as  if  each 
of  them  was  the  only  one  he  knew; — is  a  perfect  master  of  all 
the  different  kinds  of  Latin  ; — understands  Greek  well,  and  is 
not  altogether  ignorant  of  the  Hebrew.  History  and  philo- 
sophy are  his  darling  entertainments,  in  both  which  he  is  well 
versed :  the  one,  he  says,  will  instruct  him  how  to  govern 
others,  and  the  other  how  to  govern  himself,  whether  in  pro- 
sperous or  adverse  fortune.  Then,  for  his  courage — that  was 
sufficiently  proved  at  the  siege  of  Gaieta,  when,  though 
scarce  arrived  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  performed  such  things,  as 


102  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1745, 

operation  which  led  to  the  total  failure    of  his 
project. 

When  the  Guards  returned  from  Germany 
(where  they  behaved  with  great  gallantry),  fresh 
troops  were  necessary  to  be  sent  against  the  re- 
bels ;  and  the  King,  though  he  always  respected 
and  depended  upon  the  Guards,  had  a  delicacy  in 

in  attempting  made    his   friends  and   enemies  alike  tremble, 
_  '  f:   m  different  motives.     What  he  is  ordained  for,  we 
must  leave  to  the  Almighty,  who  disposes  all !  but  he  appears  to 
be  born  and  endowed  for  something  very  extraordinary. 

Henry  Benedict,  the  second  son,  has  also  a  very  fine  person, 
though  of  a  stature  somewhat  lower  than  his  brother,  and  his 
complexion  not  altogether  so  delicate;  he  is,  however,  ex- 
tremely well  made,  has  a  certain  agreeable  robustness  in  his 
mien,  and  a  more  than  common  sparkle  in  his  eyes.  Many 
of  those  perfections  I  have  (though  faintly)  described  as  ap- 
pertaining to  the  one,  are  equally  the  due  of  the  other.  It  is  hard 
indeed  to  say  which  of  them  has  most  applied  himself  to  the 
branches  of  those  kinds  of  learning  which  enable  man  to  be  use- 
ful to  his  fellow-creatures.  The  difference  I  make  between  their 
tempers  is  this :  that  the  one  has  the  agreeable  mixture  of  the 
Stuart  and  Sobieski  (as  I  have  already  said),  and  the  other  seems 
actuated  more  entirely  by  the  spirit  of  the  latter;  all  the  fire  of 
his  great  ancestors  on  that  side,  seems  collected  in  him  ;  and  I 
dare  believe  that  should  his  arm  ever  be  employed  in  so  warrant- 
able a  cause  as  that  which  warmed  the  breast  of  his  glorious  pro- 
genitor*,when  ]  50,000  Turks  owed  theirfdefeat  to  the  bravery 


*  King  John  of  Poland, 
f  Siege  of  Vienna. 


1745.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  3  03 

applying'  for  their  services  so  recently  after  their 
campaigns.  He  consulted  a  confidential  general 
officer  for  advice,  who  gave  it  as  his  opinion,  that 
he  should  call  a  military  levee  byway  of  experi- 
ment. The  levee  was  accordingly  announced, 
and  all  the  officers  attended,  when  the  King,  com 
ing  into  the  circle,  thus  addressed  them  :— 

of  a  handful  of  Christians  led  on  by  him  to  victory,  this  warlike 
young  Prince  would  have  the  same  success.  His  martial  spirit  dis- 
covered itself  when,  being  no  more  than  nine  years  old,  at  the 
time  his  brother  accompanied  the  young  king  of  Naples  to  en- 
force possession  of  his  dominions,  he  was  so  much  discontented  at 
being  refused  the  partnership  of  that  glory  and  that  danger, 
that  he  would  not  put  on  his  sword,  till  his  father  threatened 
to  take  away  his  garter  too,  saying,  it  did  not  become  him  to 
wear  the  one  without  the  other. 

"  I  am  told,  the  parting  between  these  young  gentlemen  and 
their  father  was  very  affecting,  and  drew  tears  from  the  eyes 
of  most  who  were  present  at  it.  The  Regent  (as  he  was  called) 
said,  amongst  other  remarkable  things,  "I  go,  Sir,  in  search  of 
three  crowns,  which  I  doubt  not  but  to  have  the  honour  and 
happiness  of  laying  at  your  Majesty's  feet:  if  I  fail  in  the  at- 
tempt, your  next  sight  of  me  shall  be  in  my  coffin."  At 
these  words  the  Chevalier  became  unable  to  preserve  that 
moderation  he  had  assumed  on  so  trying  an  occasion  :  the  grief 
his  heart  was  big  with,  in  spite  of  his  endeavours,  discovered 
itself  in  his  countenance,  and  he  burst  into  this  exclamation — 
"  Heaven  forbid  that  all  the  crowns  in  the  world  should  rob 
me  of  my  son  !"  Then  tenderly  embracing  him,  "  Be  careful 
of  yourself,  my  dear  Prince,  (added  he)  for  my  sike  and  I 
hope  for  the  sake  of  millions." 


104  GF.ORG  E    THI.    THIRD,  1745. 

"  Gentlemen, 
"  You  cannot  be  ignorant  of  the  present  preca- 
rious situation  of  our  country,  and,  though  I  have 
had  such  recent  instances  of  your  exertions,  the 
necessity  of  the  times  and  the  knowledge  I  have 
of  your  hearts  induce  me  to  demand  your  ser- 
vices again ;  so  that  all  of  you  that  are  willing  to 
meet  the  Rebels,  hold  up  your  right  hands ;  all 
those  who  may,  from  particular  reasons,  feel  it  an 
inconvenience,  hold  up  your  left." 

On  the  instant  all  the  right  hands  in  the  room 
were  up,  which  so  affected  the  King,  that,  in 
attempting  to  thank  them,  he  shed  tears,  and 
retired. 

The  Guards  next  morning  marched  to  Finchley  ; 
and  were  accompanied  with  the  prayers,  the  ac- 
clamations, and  the  bounties  of  the  public. 

When  Hogarth,  some  years  afterwards,  made  a 
sketch  of  this  march  to  Finchley,  it  was  shewn  to 
the  King,  who  did  not  seem  pleased  with  the 
idea,  and  said,  he  would  not  have  his  brave  soldiers 
turned  into  ridicule.  Hogarth,  who  had,  previously 
to  this,  meant  to  dedicate  it  to  the  King,  took  the 
hint,  and  dedicated  it  to  the  late  King  of  Prussia. 

That  George  II.  was  not  an  illiberal  Prince  is 
evident  from  an  occurrence  connected  with  these 
events ;  for  he  was  considerably  affected  on  hear- 
ing of  the  fate  of  a  poor  Highlander,  named  Mac 


1745.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  105 

Jan,  who  had  been  the  first  guide  and  protector 
of  the  young  Pretender  after  the  battle  of  Cullo- 
den,  and  had  remained  firm  to  his  trust,  despising 
alike  the  personal  danger  incurred  by  himself,  and 
the  temptation  of  the  offered  reward,  30,000/.  This 
faithful  fellow,  a  very  short  time  afterwards,  was 
convicted  of  stealing  a  cow,  to  which  he  was  driven 
by  the  distress  of  his  family,  and  executed  for 
that  offence  at  Inverness  ;  but  no  sooner  did  the 
circumstance  reach  the  ears  of  the  Brunswick 
Monarch,  than  he  declared,  that  if  he  had  sooner 
been  acquainted  with  the  merits  of  the  case,  he 
would  have  placed  Mac  Jan  in  a  situation  in  which 
he  would  have  been  above  such  temptation,  and 
unexposed  to  such  necessity — a  transaction  that 
would  have  been  alike  honourable  to  the  Monarch 
and  the  man. 

We  may  also  add,  that  when  desired  to  sign  the 
death-warrant  for  Dr.  Cameron,  he  said,  in  the 
true  spirit  of  mercy  which  has  ever  distinguished 
his  illustrious  family,  "  Surely  there  has  been  too 
much  blood  already  spent  upon  this  occasion." 

The  Kings  politeness  at  this  period  was  parti- 
cularly manifested  in  a  little  anecdote  of  a  Mr. 
Thornton,  a  gentleman  of  large  Yorkshire  estates, 
and  member  of  parliament,  who  was  extremely 
active  during  the  whole  of  the  commotion,  having 
also  raised  a  corps  of  volunteers,  called  the  York- 
shire Hussars,  by  his  own  personal  influence  and 


10G  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1745. 

expense.  His  lady  was  considered  as  one  of  the 
finest  women  in  the  kingdom  ;  and  when  she 
was  sometime  afterwards  presented  at  court,  his 
Majesty  received  her  in  the  most  gracious  manner, 
observing  to  Mr.  Thornton,  "  Sir,  I  had  always  a 
very  high  opinion  of  your  services,  but  I  never 
knew  till  now  how  much  I  was  beholden  to  you." 

The  events  of  this  time  shew  also,  that  although 
the  King  was  no  particular  patron  of  literature, 
yet  he  did  not  disdain  to  employ  it  for  political 
purposes  ;  as  it  is  well  known,  that  not  only  was 
Dr.  Webster  engaged  by  Earl  Gower  to  write  a 
pamphlet  against  the  Jacobites,  but  Lord  Gower 
corrected  the  proof  sheets,  and  his  Majesty  read 
them  for  press. 

His  patience,  doubtless,  would  have  been  as 
much  annoyed  by  the  foul  proofs,  as  it  seems  to 
have  been  by  long  sermons,  as  evinced  by  the  fol- 
lowing anecdote  of  Dr.  Newton,  on  whose  being- 
appointed  sub-almoner,  his  great  friend,  Arch- 
bishop Gilbert,  informed  him  that  among  other 
things  the  King  had  said,  that  though  he  had  no 
reason  to  find  fault  with  the  length  of  Dr.  New- 
ton's sermons,  yet,  as  he  would  now  preach  oftener 
before  him,  he  must  desire  that  he  would  be  par- 
ticularly short,  especially  on  the  great  festivals :  for 
he  was  an  old  man,  and  if  the  sermon  was  long  he 
was  in  danger  of  falling  asleep  and  catching  cold, 
and  it  would  fatigue  him  too  much,  especially  on 


1745.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  107 

those  days  when  he  was  afterwards  to  come  down 
into  the  chapel  to  receive  the  sacrament.  The  doc- 
tor says  that  he  had  before  taken  care  in  his  ser- 
mons at  court  to  come  within  the  compass  of 
twenty  minutes,  but  that  after  this,  especially  on 
the  great  festivals,  he  never  exceeded  fifteen  ;  so 
that  the  King  sometimes  said  to  the  clerk  of  the 
closet,  "  A  short  good  sermon !  " 

The  King  indeed  seems  to  have  had  no  greater 
predilection  for  long  accounts,  as  appears  from  a 
well  authenticated  financial  anecdote  : — 

During  the  administration  of  the  Duke  of  New- 
castle, many  and  heavy  were  the  complaints  with 
respect  to  the  delay  in  settling  public  accounts  ; 
and  severe  remonstrances  were  perpetually  pub- 
lished on  the  injury  done  to  individuals,  as  well 
as  to  the  national  interests,  by  the  want  of  regu- 
larity and  despatch  in  the  public  offices.  These 
things  at  length  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
King,  who  called  the  prime  minister  to  a  reckon- 
ing in  no  very  gentle  language ;  telling  him  at  the 
same  time,  that,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  where 
the  fault  lay,  and  to  satisfy  the  minds  of  the 
people,  he  would  inspect  the  accounts  himself. — 
"Is  your  Majesty  in  earnest?"  said  the  Duke; 
and  on  being  told  that  such  was  his  intention,  he 
bowed,  and  promised  to  send  the  papers.  The 
next  morning  the  King  heard  an  uncommon  bustle 
in  the  court-yard  of  the  palace,  and,  on  going  to 


108  GEORGE    THE    THIRD.  1745. 

the  window,  observed  a  cart  loaded  with  large 
bundles  of  paper,  tied  up  with  red  tape.  This 
unusual  spectacle  excited  his  curiosity ;  and  on 
being  told  that  these  were  public  accounts,  sent 
for  his  Majesty's  perusal  by  the  Duke  of  New- 
castle, he  ordered  his  grace  to  be  called.  When 
the  minister  appeared  in  the  royal  presence,  the 
King  in  a  passion  asked  what  he  meant  by  in- 
sulting him  with  a  waggon-load  of  books  and  pa- 
pers at  the  door  of  his  palace  ?  "  May  it  please 
your  Majesty,"  said  the  duke,  "  I  understood  that 
it  was  your  wish  to  examine  the  documents  with 
your  own  eyes,  and  there  was  no  other  way  of 
doing  so  but  by  this  mode  of  conveyance,  and, 
besides  this,  there  is  another  cart-load  on  the 
road." — "  The  devil  there  is  !  "  replied  the  King ; 
"  then  you. may  go  and  make  a  bonfire  of  the 
whole  for  me.  I  would  as  soon  be  made  a  galley- 
slave  as  venture  to  look  over  any  part  of  the  heap ; 
so  take  away  the  cargo  that  is  already  here,  coun- 
termand the  other,  and  let  me  hear  no  more  com- 
plaints." 

We  have  already  noticed  the  fact,  that  those 
who  had  most  ostentatiously  called  themselves  the 
"  King's  friends,"  took  care  to  repay  themselves  by 
a  marked  personal  opposition  to  the  King  in  the 
cabinet ;  and  we  may  add  further,  that  his  Ma- 
jesty took  an  opportunity  of  complaining  to  Lord 
Bnth  of  the  uneasiness  of  his  situation ;  that  he 


1745.  HIS    COURT,    AND     FAMILY.  109 

was  held  under  the  dominion  of  an  aristocracy  ; 
that  they  hemmed  him  in  on  all  sides,   and  he 
could  not  have  those  about  him  whom  he  liked ; 
that  they  in  a  manner  engrossed  all  power,  and 
in  effect  he  could  do  little  or  nothing.     He  there- 
fore asked  Lord  Bath,  whether  he  could  not  give 
him   some  assistance — whether  he  could  not  in 
any  way  extricate  him  from  his  present  difficul- 
ties ;  and,  if  he  possibly  could,  conjured  him  by 
all  means  to  break  the  combination,  and  to  set 
him  at  liberty.     Lord  Bath  replied,  that  it  would 
be  burning  his  own  fingers,  but  however,  to  oblige 
his  Majesty,  he  would  try  what  could  be  done; — 
it  was  possible  he  might  be  able  to  succeed,  but 
his  success  must  in  a  great  measure  depend  upon 
his  Majesty  himself;  who  must  be  sure  to  stand 
steady,  and  be  true  to  his  own  interest,  other- 
wise, as  the  attempt  was  hazardous,  it  would  also 
prove  vain  and  ineffectual.     One  of  the  first  steps 
he  took,  was  to  send  for  Gideon  and  the  monied 
men,  to  know  whether  they  would  confirm  the 
agreement  which  they  had  made  with   Mr.  Pel- 
ham  for  raising  the  supplies  of  the  current  year. 
They  readily  answered,  that  they  would  abide 
by  their  bargain  with  Mr.  Pelham,  for  they  had 
not  made  it  for  his  sake  only.     But  Lord   Bath 
convinced  them  that  in  one  article  they  had  ex- 
acted more  from  Mr.  Pelham  than  they  should 
have  done,  and  therefore  insisted  upon  an  abate- 


110  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1745. 

ment;  to  which,  after  some  debate,  they  con- 
sented. At  the  same  time  Earl  Granville,  who 
was  a  greater  personal  favourite  with  the  King 
than  any  of  the  ministers,  was  declared  secretary 
of  state,  and  the  Earl  of  Carlisle  was  sent  for  to 
be  the  lord  privy  seal.  The  ministers  soon  took 
the  alarm,  and  had  a  meeting  all  together  at  Lord 
Harrington's,  where  they  agreed  upon  the  mea- 
sures they  would  pursue ;  and  the  next  day  they 
all  went  to  court,  and  one  after  another  resigned 
their  respective  places.  Such  was  their  fidelity  to 
their  old  master  when  a  rebellion  was  still  raging 
in  the  midst  of  the  kingdom — they  would  rather 
all  desert  him  in  the  hour  of  distress  and  clanger, 
than  any  of  them  should  be  deprived  of  the  profits 
of  their  places.  This  was  more  than  the  King  had 
expected  :  he  was  by  no  means  prepared  for  such 
an  event ;  he  was,  with  all  his  courage,  really  in- 
timidated by  so  many  resignations,  and  may  be 
said  in  a  manner  to  have  resigned  himself ;  for  his 
whole  scheme  was  suddenly  disconcerted,  Lord 
Granville  was  dismissed  within  a  few  days,  and 
the  old  ministers  were  all  restored  to  their  places 
with  fuller  power  than  before.  The  King  was  as 
much  chagrined  and  vexed,  as  he  was  provoked 
and  angry,  at  his  disappointment ;  and  begged  and 
intreated  of  Lord  Bath  to  avenge  his  cause,  by 
writing  a  full  account  of  the  whole  transaction. 
Gneof  his  expressions  was,  "  Rub  it  in  their  noses. 


1748.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  Ill 

and,  if  it  be  possible,  make  them  ashamed."  An 
account  was  accordingly  drawn  up,  which  re- 
ceived the  royal  approbation;  but  the  manuscript 
is  supposed  to  have  been  burnt  accidentally,  with 
other  papers,  by  the  noble  author. 

1748. 

The  peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  in  1748,  gave 
some  repose  to  the  nation,  who  were  now  begin- 
ning to  taste  some  internal  tranquillity  from  the 
increasing  unpopularity  of  the  expatriated  family, 
and  the  turn  of  public  favour  towards  the  Bruns- 
wick dynasty,  not  only  from  the  personal  gal- 
lantry of  the  Monarch,  but  also  the  praiseworthy 
conduct  of  the  heir  apparent. 

The  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales  appeared  still 
to  court  public  notice  and  popularity;  and  indeed 
the  general  tendency  of  their  pursuits,  and  their 
affability,  could  not  fail  of  success.  This  year  they 
paid  a  visit  to  Sir  Hans  Sloane,  to  see  his  curious 
collection  of  natural  history,  medals,  &c.  which 
formed  the  basis  of  our  present  British  Museum, 
and  they  did  honour  to  science  by  their  behaviour 
upon  this  occasion.  Dr.  Mortimer,  as  secretary 
to  the  Royal  Society,  conducted  them  into  the 
apartment  where  Sir  Hans  was  sitting,  he  being- 
then  both  aged  and  infirm,  when  the  Prince  took 
a  chair,  and  sat  down  by  the  good  old  gentleman 
for  some  time,  expressing  the  great  esteem  and 


112  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1748. 

value  he  had  for  him  personally,  and  how  much 
the  learned  world  was  obliged  to  him  for  his  im- 
mense and  multifarious  collections.  The  royal 
party  then  proceeded  to  examine  the  curiosities 
of  various  kinds,  spread  upon  three  large  tables, 
and  removed  like  the  courses  at  a  great  dinner, 
until  every  thing  curious  had  been  seen  :  during 
all  which  time  the  Prince  manifested  considerable 
knowledge  upon  every  subject,  especially  the 
medals,  on  which  he  made  many  judicious  re- 
marks ;  expressly  observing,  in  reference  to  the 
proposed  parliamentary  purchase,  how  much  it 
must  conduce  to  the  benefit  of  learning,  and  how 
great  an  honour  would  redound  to  Britain  to 
have  it  established  for  public  use  to  the  latest 
posterity. 

A  few  months  after  this,  on  the  birth-da v  of  the 
Princess,  the  19th  of  November,  there  was  a  very 
splendid  appearance  of  nobility  and  gentry  at 
Leicester  House;  when  the  Prince,  observing  that 
some  of  the  lords  wore  French  stuffs,  immedi- 
ately directed  the  Duke  of  Chandos,  as  groom  of 
the  stole,  to  acquaint  them,  and  all  his  servants 
in  general,  that  after  that  day  he  should  be  greatly 
displeased  to  see  them  appear  in  any  French 
manufactures.  The  same  notice  was  given  to  the 
ladies. 

This  was  judicious;  and  it  is  not  irrelevant  here 
to  record,  that  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  both 


1748.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  113 

houses  of  parliament  actually  addressed  his  Ma- 
jesty, in  1668,  to  give  the  like  orders,  passing  re- 
solutions themselves  to  set  the  example.  It  is 
gratifying  to  reflect,  that  the  same  has  been  prac- 
tised of  late ;  and  it  were  to  be  wished  that  it 
may  become  universal. 

The  Prince's  family  now  became  a  favourite  to- 
pic of  conversation ;  and  Walpole  records  an  anec- 
dote of  the  young  Prince's  proficiency  and  ready 
wit,  when  the  King,  previous  to  setting  off  for  the 
continent,  sent  Baron  Stainberg  to  examine  his 
royal  grandchildren  with  respect  to  their  educa- 
tion. The  Baron  told  Prince  George  that  he  should 
inform  the  King  what  great  proficiency  he  had  made 
in  his  Latin,  but  that  he  wished  his  Royal  Highness 
was  a  little  more  perfect  in  his  German  grammar, 
and  that  it  would  be  of  signal  use  to  him ;  when 
"  the  child  squinted  at  him,  and  said,  German 
grammar !  why,  any  dull  child  can  learn  that ! " 
Soon  afterwards,  when  the  Prince  was  to  receive 
the  garter,  the  Prince  of  Wales  carried  him  to  the 
door  of  the  royal  closet,  and  the  Duke  of  Dorset 
led  him  to  his  grandfather's  presence.  Some  of 
the  Carlton  House  court  had  taught  him  a  set 
speech,  which  the  Prince  began  to  repeat,  but 
the  King  cried  out,  "  No,  no !"'  When  the  boy, 
says  Walpole,  had  a  little  recovered  of  his  fright, 
he  began  again;  but  the  same  tremendous  sounds 
were  heard,  and  the  oration  fell  still-born. 
vol    i.  r 


114  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1748. 

In  addition  to  his  classical  studies,  the  Prince 
began  now  to  be  initiated  in  the  more  orna- 
mental parts  of  education,  and  Goupy  was 
engaged  as  his  drawing-master,  an  ingenious 
artist,  at  that  period  in  great  favour  with  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  and  frequently  attending  him  at 
Leicester-house  to  draw  such  designs  as  his  Royal 
Highness  chose  to  point  out.  On  arriving  one 
morning,  the  Prince  of  Wales  said,  "  Come, 
Goupy,  sit  down,  and  finish  your  design ;"  but 
the  artist,  observing  Prince  George  standing  as  a 
prisoner  behind  his  father's  chair,  took  the  liberty 
humbly  to  represent  to  his  royal  patron,  how  im- 
possible it  was  to  execute  his  commands  with  any 
spirit,  whilst  the  Prince  was  standing,  and  under 
his  royal  displeasure.  "  Come  out  then,  George," 
exclaimed  the  indulgent  parent,  "  Goupy  has 
released  you !" 

This  little  occurrence  never  was  forgotten  by 
his  Majesty,  who  many  years  afterwards  had  the 
pleasure  of  repaying  the  good  office  in  kind,  when 
Goupy,  then  an  old  man  of  eighty-four,  was 
living  in  great  distress,  increased  by  expense  and 
anxiety  in  the  support  of  a  deranged  female  who 
had  some  claims  upon  his  gratitude.  Goupy  then 
resided  at  Kensington ;  and  one  morning,  running, 
as  has  been  said,  from  the  danger  of  actual  arrest, 
in  hopes  of  getting  to  town  for  seclusion  and  se- 


1748.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  115 

curity,  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet  the  royal 
coach,  when  the  King  instantly  ordered  his  ser- 
vants to  stop,  and  called  from  the  window,  "  How 
do  you,  Goupy  ? "  At  this  salutation,  the  aged 
artist  halted,  though  the  bailiffs  were  in  active 
pursuit;  and  when  his  Majesty  inquired  what 
were  his  means  of  support,  "  Little  enough,  in- 
deed," answered  he ;  "  and  as  I  once  took  your 
Majesty  out  of  prison,  I  hope  you  will  not  now 
let  me  be  put  into  one."  The  Monarch  inquired 
the  more  particular  meaning  of  this,  when  Goupy 
pointed  to  the  bailiffs,  who  had  thus  come  up 
with  their  chace.  "  Oh,  ho !"  said  the  King,  "  is 
it  so  ?  I  cannot  stop  the  law — the  law  must  take 
its  course ;  but  Ramus  shall  settle  the  business, 
and  I  will  take  care  to  secure  you  from  such 
dangers  in  future !" 

Of  the  same  nature  is  an  anecdote  of  a  Mr. 
Redman,  a  fencing-master  by  profession,  who 
had  taught  the  young  Prince,  as  well  as  his  father, 
the  use  of  the  small  sword.  The  princely  pupil 
never  forgot  him,  but  settled  a  pension  upon  him 
of  100/.  per  annum,  which  Redman  was  after- 
wards obliged  to  sell,  from  unavoidable  misfor- 
tunes, becoming  a  prisoner  in  the  King's  Bench. 
This  was  about  1787,  when  Redman  was  in  his 
85th  year  :  but  no  sooner  did  his  royal  pupil  hear 
of  it  than  he  paid  off  the  old  man's  debts  from  the 

i  2 


116  GEORGE    THE   THIRD,  1749. 

privy  purse,  and  appointed  him  a  Poor  Knight  of 
Windsor,  in  order  that  he  might  pass  the  winter 
of  life  in  ease  and  comfort. 

1749. 

Lord  North,  father  of  the  subsequent  premier, 
was  now  thought  of  by  the  Prince  of  Wales  as  a 
governor  for  his  eldest  son,  then  in  his  eleventh 
year,  and  so  far  introduced  into  public  life  as  to 
be  present  at  the  family  parties  at  Kew  or  Clief- 
den,  and  to  accompany  his  royal  parents  in  the 
various  excursions  they  took  in  the  vicinity  of 
their  country  residences. 

To  accustom  the  young  Princes  to  oratory, 
private  theatricals  had  been  some  time  in  prepa- 
ration at  Leicester-house,  and  the  tragedy  of  Cato 
was  got  ready  for  rehearsal  on  the  last  day  of  1748. 
The  final  representation  took  place  on  the  4th  of 
January,  1749,  when  as  many  of  the  young  Prin- 
ces and  Princesses  as  were  old  enough,  together 
with  several  youths  of  quality,  made  their  debut 
before  a  numerous  assembly  of  rank  and  fashion, 
and  were  received  with  great  applause. 

DRAMATIS  PERSONS. 

Portius Prince  George. 

Juba Prince  Edward. 

Cato Master  Nugent. 

Sempronius Master  Evelyn. 

Lucius Master  Montague. 


1749.  HIS    COUUT,    AND    FAMILY.  117 

Decius Lord  Milsington. 

Syphax Lord  North's  Son. 

Maucus    Master  Madden. 

Marcia Princess  Augusta. 

Lucia  Princess  Elizabeth. 

The  prologue  was  recited  by  Prince  George  :— 

"  To  speak  with  freedom,  dignity,  and  ease, 
To  learn  those  arts,  which  may  hereafter  please, 
Wise  authors  say — let  youth,  in  earliest  age, 
Rehearse  the  poet's  labours  on  the  stage. 
Nay  more  !   a  nobler  end  is  still  behind, 
The  poet's  labours  elevate  the  mind ; 
Teach  our  young  hearts  with  gen'rous  fire  to  burn, 
And  feel  the  virtuous  sentiments  we  learn. 
T'  attain  these  glorious  ends,  what  play  so  fit, 
As  that  where  all  the  powers  of  human  wit 
Combine  to  dignify  great  Cato's  name, 
To  deck  his  tomb,  and  consecrate  his  fame? 
Where  Liberty — Oh  name  for  ever  dear  ! 
Breathes  forth  in  every  line,  and  bids  us  fear 
Nor  pain  nor  death,  to  guard  our  sacred  laws, 
But  bravely  perish  in  our  country's  cause. 
Patriots  indeed  !  nor  why  that  honest  name, 
Through  every  time  and  station  still  the  same, 
Should  this  superior  to  my  years  be  thought, 
Know,  'tis  the  first  great  lesson  I  was  taught. 
What,  though  a  boy!   it  may  with  pride  be  said, 
A  boy  in  England  born,   in  England  bred ; 
Where  freedom  well  becomes  the  earliest  state, 
For  there  the  love  of  liberty  's  innate. 
Yet  more — before  my  eyes  those  heroes  stand 
Whom  the  great  William  brought  to  bless  this  land, 


118  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1749. 

To  guard  with  pious  care  that  gen'rous  plan, 
Of  power  well  bounded,  which  he  first  began. 
But  while  my  great  forefathers  fire  my  mind, 
The  friends,  the  joy,  the  glory  of  mankind ; 
Can  I  forget  that  there  is  one  more  dear  ? 
But  he  is  present — and  I  must  forbear." 

The  epilogue  was  spoken  by  the  Princess  Au- 
gusta and  Prince  Edward  alternately,  but  does  not. 
possess  sufficient  interest  to  justify  insertion. 

On  this  occasion  the  instruction  of  the  young 
candidates  for  histrionic  fame,  and  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  rehearsals,  were  entrusted  to  the  ce- 
lebrated Quin,  who  was  also  employed  in  assisting 
to  get  up  Lady  Jane  Grey,  preparatory  to  which 
exhibition  that  tragedy  was  revived  at  Covent- 
Garden  in  the  ensuing  winter,  but  the  royal  per- 
formance did  not  take  place.  Quin,  however,  did 
not  go  unrewarded  :  he  was  not  only  gratified 
with  a  pension,  but  felt  also  proud  of  the  distinc- 
tion conferred  upon  him — a  proof  of  which  he  gave 
many  years  afterwards  on  hearing  of  the  graceful 
manner  in  which  his  pupil  delivered  the  first 
speech  from  the  throne,  crying  out,  "  Aye!  'twas 
I  that  taught  the  boy  to  speak ! " 

From  the  moment  of  Quin's  first  introduction  at 
Leicester-house,  through  the  recommendation  of 
Lord  Lyttelton  and  the  Poet  of  the  Seasons,  he 
always  met  with  the  warmest  patronage  from  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  who  attended  his  annual  benefits. 


1749.  HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  119 

and  seldom  commanded  a  play  except  at  Covent- 
Garden  ;  a  patronage  which  actually  raised  Quinfc 
theatrical  salary  to  1000/.  per  annum. 

In  the  ensuing  May,  the  Prince  was  brought 
forward  to  public  notice  by  his  giving  a  silver 
cup,  worth  25  guineas,  to  be  rowed  for  by  seven 
pair  of  oars,  on  his  birth-day  (O.S.)  the  25th,  he 
then  entering  his  twelfth  year.  After  the  usual 
compliments  of  ceremony  at  Leicester-house, 
the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  with  a  select 
party  of  nobility,  were  rowed  in  their  barge  a-head 
of  the  competitors,  followed  by  Prince  George 
and  the  young  Princesses,  in  a  magnificent  new- 
built  barge  in  the  Venetian  style,  the  watermen 
dressed  in  Chinese  costume ;  which,  with  the 
number  of  galleys  and  pleasure  boats  attending, 
rowed  by  young  gentlemen  in  neat  uniforms,  pro- 
duced a  most  splendid  and  interesting  appear- 
ance. The  youthful  donor  was  so  well  pleased 
with  the  entertainment  of  the  day,  that  he  an- 
nounced another  piece  of  plate  for  six  or  seven 
yachts  or  pleasure  boats  which  should  sail  to  the 
Nore  and  back  again. 

Two  days  afterwards  the  same  royal  party  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Foundling  Hospital,  accompanied 
by  a  great  number  of  persons  of  quality  and  dis- 
tinction, to  hear  a  performance  from  the  works  of 
Handel,  for  the  benefit  of  the  institution.  The 
tickets  were  half-a-guinea,  and  the  receipts  consi- 


120  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1750. 

derable,  together  with  2000/.  presented   by  the 
King,  and  the  sum  of  50/.  from  a  person  unknown. 

1750. 

The  King  went  this  summer  to  Hanover,  and 
Prince  George,  though  only  twelve  years  of  age, 
was  permitted  by  him  to  be  one  of  the  sponsors 
for  his  young  brother,    Frederick  William,  who 
died  in  1765;  and  soon  after  the  Princess's  re- 
covery the  usual  system  of  whimsical  amusement 
was  resumed,  as  related  by  Lord  Melcombe  in 
his   Diary.—  "  Lady  Middlesex,  Lord  Bathurst, 
Mr.  Breton,  and  I  waited  on  their  Royal  High- 
nesses to  Spitalfields,  to  see  the  manufactory  of 
silk,  and  to  Mr.  Carr's  shop  in  the  morning.     In 
the  afternoon  the  same»company,  with  Lady  Tor- 
rington  in  waiting,  went  in  private  coaches  to  Nor- 
wood forest  to  see  a  settlement  of  gypsies.     We 
returned  and  went  to  Bettesworth,  the  conjuror, 
in  hackney-coaches — not  finding  him,  we  went  in 
search  of  the  little  Dutchman,  but   were   disap- 
pointed ;  and  concluded  the  particularities  of  the 
day  by  supping  with  Mrs.  Cannon,  the  Princess's 
midwife." 

On  the  28th  of  June  the  Prince  and  Princess  of 
Wales,  in  pursuance  of  their  plan  of  making  the 
heir  presumptive  acquainted  with  all  the  useful 
details  of  common  life,  took  him  and  the  Princess 
Augusta  with  them  on  a  visit  to  Spitalfields,  where 


1750.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  121 

they  examined  several  manufactories,  expressing 
great  satisfaction  at  the  fine  and  curious  display 
in  the  various  looms,  and  declaring  their  fixed  in- 
tention of  encouraging  British  manufactures  in 
preference  to  those  of  foreign  countries. 

The  same  course  was  pursued  on  a  subsequent 
visit  in  July  to  the  manufactories  of  Gloucester- 
shire, whilst  at  Lord  Bathurst's  seat,  near  Ciren- 
cester ;  when  they  were  presented  with  addresses 
from  the  incorporated  companies  of  weavers,  and 
also  of  the  woolcombers  of  that  town,  to  which 
they  returned  the  most  favourable  and  encouraging 
answers. 

On  the  1 2th  of  July  an  installation  took  place  at 
Windsor,  when  Prince  George  became  a  knight 
of  the  Garter  by  proxy,  being  represented  by  the 
Earl  of  Inchiquin. 

On  the  1st  of  August  ensuing,  the  anniversary 
of  the  Brunswick  accession,  the  sailing-match 
took  place  from  Greenwich  to  the  Nore,  for  the 
promised  cup,  but  which,  on  this  occasion,  was 
called  the  Prince  of  Wales's.  This  regatta  passed 
off  with  great  applause. 

On  the  30th  of  September  Lord  Bute  was  fixed 
at  Leicester-house,  he  on  that  day  kissing  hands 
as  a  lord  of  the  bedchamber.  Colonel  Robinson 
was  also  appointed  an  equerry ;  he,  as  well  as 
Lord  North,  remaining  under  the  title  of  servant 
to   the   Prince,  but  both  to  attend  the   Princes 


122  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1750. 

George  and  Edward,  as  governor  and  equerry. 
With  respect  to  this  affair  the  following  anecdote 
is  related  very  ambiguously  by  Mr.  Seward,  but 
with  some  appearance  of  probability.  "  Of  the 
rise  of  a  great  favourite  in  this  country  (Lord 
Bute),  this  account  has  been  given.  He  resided 
in  the  vicinity  of  Richmond,  and  had  an  apothe- 
cary for  his  neighbour,  who  kept  a  chariot.  The 
apothecary,  intending  to  go  to  see  a  cricket-match, 
proposed  to  take  his  neighbour  with  him  in  his 
carriage.  This  kind  offer  was  accepted,  and  they 
went  together  to  the  ground.  It  beginning,  how- 
ever, to  rain  whilst  they  were  there,  the  great 
personage  at  whose  command  the  cricket-match 
was  played  took  to  his  tent,  and  wished  very  much 
to  play  at  whist  until  the  weather  should  become 
fair.  There  was  no  small  embarrassment  to  find 
a  fourth ;  at  last,  somebody  spying  his  lordship  in 
the  apothecary's  carriage,  asked  him  if  he  would 
have  the  honour  of  filling  up  the  Prince's  party. 
To  this  he  consented,  and  so  pleased  the  august 
personage  by  his  conversation  and  manners,  that 
he  desired  him  to  come  and  see  him  at  Kew. 

"How  often  do  great  events  arise  from  trifling 
causes  !"  exclaims  Mr.  Seward.  "  An  apothe- 
cary keeping  his  carriage  may  have  occasioned 
the  peace  of  Paris,  the  American  war,  and  the 
national  assembly  in  France  !" 

The  Pretender  came  again  this  year  to  London, 


1750.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         123 

accompanied  by  Colonel  Brett,  in  the  month  of 
September.  He  landed  at  the  Tower,  the  outside 
of  which  he  examined,  and  observed  that  it  would 
be  easy  to  force  the  gate  with  a  petard.  He 
took  up  lodgings  in  Pall  Mall,  and  was  sur- 
rounded by  upwards  of  fifty  of  his  partizans,  but 
with  little  hopes  of  success  from  any  attempt ;  as 
he  afterwards  declared  that  if  4000  men  could 
have  been  raised,  he  would  have  put  himself  at 
their  head. 

It  is  said,  on  good  authority,  that  the  fact  of 
the  Pretender's  visit  to  London  was  actually 
known  at  the  time  to  the  King  himself,  who  first 
mentioned  it  to  Lord  Holdernesse,  puzzling  his 
lordship  very  much  as  to  the  advice  he  should 
give.  But  his  Majesty  perceived  his  embarrass- 
ment on  being  asked,  "  And  what  do  you  think, 
my  lord,  I  should  do  with  him?"  immediately 
adding,  "  My  lord,  I  shall  just  do  nothing  at  all; 
and  when  he  is  tired  of  England  he  will  go  abroad 
again." 

The  source  through  which  the  King  knew  it, 
must  have  been  a  very  injudicious  visit  of  the 
Pretender  himself  to  Lady  Primrose,  as  believed, 
going  to  her  house  when  she  had  a  large  evening- 
card- party,  and  entering  the  room  after  being- 
announced  by  a  feigned  name.  The  lady  was  so 
flurried,  that  she  declared  the  cards  had  nearly 
fallen  from  her  hand  ;  but  she  still  preserved  suf- 


124  GEORGE    THE    TH1KD,  1750. 

ficient  presence  of  mind  to  welcome  him  by  his 
assumed  name,  and  to  ask  some  trifling  questions, 
until  the  departure  of  the  company  permitted 
more  private  conversation.  After  he  was  gone, 
the  servants  remarked  how  much  the  strange  gen- 
tleman resembled  the  picture  over  the  fire-place. 

Dr.  King  expressly  states,  that  in  the  month  of 
September  he  received  a  note  from  Lady  Prim- 
rose, who  desired  to  see  him  immediately;  in 
consequence  of  which,  he  waited  on  her  in  her 
dressing-room,  where  he  was  introduced  to  the 
Pretender ;  but  he  says,  that  he  staid  only  five 
days  in  London,  as  his  plans  were  found  to  be 
very  ill-advised.  Amongst  other  risks  of  dis- 
covery which  he  run,  was  one  whilst  drinking  tea 
with  Dr.  King  at  his  lodgings ;  when  the  doctor's 
servant,  after  his  departure,  said  that  he  thought 
the  new  visitor  was  very  like  Prince  Charles. 
The  doctor  asked  him  if. he  had  ever  seen  the 
Prince ;  to  which  the  reply  was,  "  No,  sir ;  but 
this  gentleman,  whoever  he  may  be,  exactly  re- 
sembles the  busts  which  are  sold  in  Red  Lion 
Street,  as  busts  of  the  Prince."  The  doctor  says, 
that  these  busts  were  actually  taken  from  a  cast, 
in  plaster  of  Paris,  modelled  on  the  Pretender's 
own  face. 

Dr.  King  adds,  that  the  Pretender's  tutor  was  a 
protestant ;  and  that  he  himself,  though  a  catholic 
with  catholics,  was  a  protestant  with  protestants ; 


1750.  HIS    COURT,    AND     FAMILY.  125 

and  not  only  often  carried  an  English  prayer- 
book  in  his  pocket,  but  also  employed  a  nonjuring 
clergyman  to  baptize  his  illegitimate  issue. 

It  is  further  asserted,  that  the  Pretender's  visit 
at  this  period  was  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
advice  of  his  continental  friends.  His  sole  object 
was,  according  to  his  own  declaration,  once  more 
to  see  the  capital  of  that  kingdom  over  which  he 
considered  himself  born  to  reign.  In  addition  to 
other  alarms  of  discovery,  he  soon  found  it  neces- 
sary to  leave  the  kingdom ;  as,  whilst  walking  one 
day  in  Hyde  Park,  he  was  met  by  a  person  who 
recognized  him,  and  made  an  attempt  to  kneel  to 
him  as  King  of  England.  This  alarmed  him,  and 
also  the  few  friends  who  knew  of  his  visit ;  so  that 
a  boat  was  instantly  hired,  in  which  he  was  car- 
ried over  to  France.  It  has  been  said  that  he 
had  some  knowledge  of,  and  connexion  with,  a 
plot  to  seize  George  II.  whilst  returning  from  the 
theatre,  and  to  carry  him  off  to  the  continent. 
The  plan  was  to  engage  a  number  of  Irish  chair- 
men, who  were  to  attack  the  royal  servants,  to 
extinguish  the  lights,  and  excite  confusion,  whilst 
the  conspirators  performed  their  office.  The  plan 
was  certainly  not  totally  impracticable  at  that 
period  ;  particularly  from  the  usual  unattended 
style  of  the  King;  but  was  very  wisely  abandoned. 

The  Prince  of  Wales,  at  this  period,  paid  great 
attention  to  the  education  of  the  heir  presumptive, 


12G  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1750. 

for  whose  use  he  employed  Dr.  Freeman  to  write 
the  History  of  the  English  Tongue  ;  he  also  pa- 
tronized literature  generally,  so  that  when  the 
Rambler  first  appeared  in  1750,  Johnson's  name 
being  then  kept  secret,  his  extreme  delight  in  that 
work  induced  him  to  send  two  of  his  court  to 
Cave,  the  publisher,  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
author,  that  he  might  extend  his  protection  to 
him. 

Vertue,  the  engraver,  was  another  object  of  his 
patronage.  So  high  also  was  his  character  amongst 
the  literary  people  of  that  day,  that  Lillo,  when 
dying,  particularly  requested  Gray  the  bookseller, 
to  dedicate  his  posthumous  tragedy  of  Elmeric  to 
his  Royal  Highness. 

Indeed,  the  little  court  of  Leicester-house  pre- 
sented a  curious  contrast  to  the  residence  of  mo- 
narchy. In  the  one  was  all  the  freedom  of  pri- 
vate life,  all  the  festivity  of  wit,  all  the  elegance 
of  literature  ;  in  the  other,  little  but  the  gloomy 
pomp  of  state  and  court  etiquette. 

Amongst  the  men  of  genius  under  the  imme- 
diate patronage  of  the  Prince,  was  Glover,  the 
author  of  "  Leonidas,"  who  was  always  admitted 
upon  the  most  familiar  footing  at  the  royal  private 
parties.  Having1  been  for  some  time  absent,  the 
Prince  took  notice  of  it,  asking  some  of  the  com- 
pany if  they  knew  the  reason;  when  he  was  told 
that  poor  Glover  had  recently  met  with  some  se- 


1750.      HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         127 

vere  losses  in  trade,  and  it  was  supposed  that  his 
consequent  difficulties  had  induced  him  to  seques- 
ter himself  from  the  courtly  assemblage.  The 
Prince  expressed  his  deep  regret,  and  afterwards 
taking  an  opportunity  of  speaking  privately  to  the 
gentleman  who  gave  him  the  information,  presented 
him  with  a  bank  note  of  500/.  adding,  "  Carry  this 
to  Mr.  Glover,  as  a  small  testimony  of  my  esteem; 
and  assure  him  from  me,  that  I  sincerely  sympa- 
thize with  him  in  his  affliction,  and  shall  be  alwavs 
glad  to  see  him."  This,  however,  is  but  an  insu- 
lated instance  of  the  Prince's  goodness  ;  it  is  now 
well  known  that  numbers  were  indebted  to  his 
bounty. 

The  venerable  Bishop  Newton  was  also  a  frequent 
guest;  and  the  description  which  he  gives  of  his 
first  introduction,  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  man- 
ners of  that  period.  He  observes,  that  Mrs.  Anne 
Dennis  Devonish,  of  a  very  good  family  in  Dorset- 
shire, was  first  married  to  Mr.  Rowe,  the  poet,  by 
whom  she  was  left  in  not  abounding  circumstances ; 
was  afterwards  married  to  Colonel  Dennis,  by 
whom  also  she  was  left  a  widow ;  and,  upon  the 
family  estate,  which  was  a  good  one,  coming  to  her 
by  the  death  of  a  near  relative,  she  resumed  the 
family  name  of  Devonish.  He  then  describes  her 
as  a  clever,  sensible,  agreeable  woman,  who  had 
seen  a  great  deal  of  the  world,  had  kept  the  best 
company,  and  was  distinguished  by  a  happy  mix- 


128  PEOR&E    THE    T1IIUD,  1750. 

tare  of  elegance  and  ease  in  every  thing  she  said 
or  did.  She  was  honoured  with  the  particular 
regard  and  friendship  of  the  Prince  and  Princess 
of  Wales,  was  often  with  them  in  their  privacies 
and  retirements ;  and  as  the  Prince  was  then  in- 
structing his  children  to  repeat  fine  moral  speeches 
out  of  plays,  and  particularly  out  of  Mr.  Rowe's, 
which  were  the  most  chaste  and  moral,  he  desired 
her  to  have  a  more  correct  edition  printed  of  Mr. 
Howe's  works,  and  recommended  Mr.  Mallet  to  her 
for  that  service.  She  rather  chose  to  employ  a  friend 
of  her  own,  and  engaged  Mr.  Newton  to  undertake 
it,  who  supervised  and  corrected  the  proofs,  and 
wrote  the  Dedication  in  her  name  to  the  Prince 
of  Wales.  By  these  means  his  name  came  first 
to  be  known  to  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales  ; 
and  Mrs.  Devonish,  like  a  true  friend,  took  every 
opportunity  of  commending  him  to  them,  and 
leaving  a  good  impression  of  his  character,  which, 
long  after,  was  of  great  service  to  him,  and  may 
be  said  to  be  the  ground-work  of  his  best  prefer- 
ment. Nor  was  this  the  only  obligation  which  he 
owed  to  that  lady  ;  for  she  first  introduced  him  to 
the  acquaintance  of  Lord  Bath,  a.4  well  at  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales  ; 
and  these  two  introductions  he  ever  esteemed  as 
two  of  the  most  fortunate  circumstances,  the  most 
happy  incidents,  in  all  his  life. 

Convivial  amidst  his  friends,  the  Prince  would 


1750.     HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILV.  129 

even  at  times  unbend  whilst  mixing  with  society 
in  general,  yet  without  descending  to  buffoonery, 
or  admitting  impertinent  familiarity.  Numerous 
anecdotes  of  this  kind  might  be  recounted. 

His  Royal  Highness  was  also  the  patron  of 
both  art  and  science,  as  well  as  literature,  espe- 
cially of  music,  and  its  professors,  but  he  did  not 
disdain  to  enjoy  a  joke  when  a  harmless  one  could 
be  played  off  upon  those  who  were  most  suscepti- 
ble of  raillery.  On  one  occasion  when  Handel  was 
to  direct  a  new  oratorio,  at  which  the  Prince  and 
family  were  to  be  present,  a  practical  wit  in  the 
Royal  suite  (aware  that  Handel's  extreme  dislike 
to  hearing  instruments  tuned  obliged  the  various 
performers  to  go  through  that  necessary  opera- 
tion always  before  his  appearance,)  seized  an 
opportunity  of  getting  into  the  orchestra  and  de- 
ranging the  whole  of  the  instruments  as  they  lay 
ready  for  the  band.  On  the  Prince's  arrival, 
Handel,  who- was  seated  at  the  organ,  gave  the 
signal  for  commencement,  when  a  grand  crash  en- 
sued, to  be  equalled  only  by  the  harmony  of  Bar- 
tholomew Fair,  and  the  enraged  musician,  forget- 
ful of  the  royal  presence,  started  up  from  his 
seat,  overturned  a  double  bass,  and  snatching  up 
a  small  kettle  drum,  threw  it  at  the  head  of  the 
leader  of  the  band,  but  luckily  without  any  other 
consequences  than  the  derangement  of  a  very 
well  powdered  wig  on  his  own  head  by  the  vio- 
vol.  r.  K 


130  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1750. 

lence  of  his  exertions  :  then  rushing  forward  to 
the  front,  convulsed  with  rage,  he  stood  for  some 
minutes  an  object  of  the  most  ludicrous  kind,  the 
whole  audience  bursting  into  a  fit  of  the  loudest 
laughter ;  nor  could  he  be  restored  to  reason  and 
quietness,  until  his  Highness  rose  from  his  seat  and 
actually  applied  himself  personally  to  appease  his 
wrath  by  stating  the  trick  which  had  been  played 
off  upon  him. 

The  Prince,  attended  by  a  party  of  young  no- 
bility, having  gone  to  view  the  curiosities  in  the 
Tower,  the  old  warder  who  conducted  them 
through  the  several  apartments,  amongst  a  variety 
of  breast-plates  that  are  in  the  horse  armoury, 
pointed  to  one,  the  lower  edge  of  which  had  been 
carried  away  by  a  cannon  ball,  and  with  it,  as  the 
warder  stated,  part  of  the  bowels  and  bottom  of 
the  abdomen  of  the  wearer,  notwithstanding  which, 
being  put  under  the  care  of  a  skilful  surgeon,  he 
recovered,  and  lived  ten  years  afterwards. 

The  company  smiled  at  the  gravity  with  which 
the  warder  related  this  story,  and  the  Prince  with 
his  wonted  pleasantry  replied,  that  he  remem- 
bered to  have  read,  somewhere  in  a  book,  a 
nearly  similar  circumstance  of  a  soldier  whose 
head  was  cleft  in  twain  so  dextrously  by  his 
antagonists,  that  one  half  lay  on  each  shoulder, 
when  one  of  his  comrades,  seeing  his  dangerous 
and  inconvenient  situation,  placed  the  two  parts 


1750.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  131 

accurately  together,  bound  them  up  with  his 
handkerchief,  and  when  the  action  was  over,  took 
part  of  a  pot  of  ale  with  him  at  night,  which  the 
wounded  but  now  cured  man  insisted  upon  his 
sharing  with  him.     This  cured  the  Warder! 

On  another  occasion  his  Royal  Highness  ho- 
noured Pope  with  a  visit,  when  the  poet  met  him 
at  the  river  side,  and  expressed  his  sense  of  the 
honour  done  to  him  in  very  courtly  terms,  joined 
to  the  most  dutiful  expressions  of  attachment. 
"  Tis  well,"  said  the  Prince,  smiling;  "  but  how 
shall  we  reconcile  your  love  to  a  prince,  with 
your  professed  indisposition  to  kings,  since  princes 
will  be  kings  in  time?" — "  Sir,"  replied-Pope,  "  I 
consider  royalty  under  that  noble  and  authorized 
type  of  the  lion ;  while  he  is  young,  and  before 
his  nails  are  grown,  he  may  be  approached  and 
caressed  with  safety  and  pleasure." 

1751. 

On  the  20th  of  March  1751,  the  Prince  of 
Wales  died,  in  the  45th  year  of  his  age,  of  a  pleu- 
ritic disorder,  in  consequence  of  a  cold  which  he 
caught  in  Kew  gardens.  A  few  days  before  his 
death  he  sent  for  his  late  Majesty  and  embraced 
him  with  great  tenderness,  uttering  this  remark- 
able expression  :  "  Come,  George,  let  us  be  good 
friends,  whilst  we  are  suffered  to  be  so."  It  is 
deserving  of  praise,  that  although  this  prince  had 

k  2 


132  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1751. 

a  very  large  family,  and  kept  a  splendid  court, 
yet  his  economy  and  regularity  were  surprising, 
and  the  private  debts  which  he  left  behind  him 
were  found  to  be  considerably  less  than  was  in 
general  expected. 

We  may  add,  that  he  often  repeated  with  plea- 
sure the  maxim,  that  a  monarch's  glory  is  insepa- 
rably connected  with  the  glory  and  happiness  of 
his  people. 

The  immediate  cause  of  the  Prince's  death  was 
the  breaking  of  an  imposthume  between  the  peri- 
cardium and  diaphragm,  the  matter  of  which  fell 
upon  the  lungs.  This  rupture  arose  from  the  cold 
caught  in  Kew  Gardens,  increased  by  leaving  the 
House  of  Lords,  whilst  very  warm,  in  a  chair  with 
the  windows  down.  Even  a  few  minutes  before 
his  death,  he  thought  himself  so  well  as  to  desire 
the  physician,  Dr.  Wilmot,  to  go  home  ;  but  the 
Princess  remained  with  him  to  the  last. 

The  Prince's  death  was  indeed  so  very  sudden, 
and  so  little  expected  at  the  moment,  that  it  is 
said,  Desnoyers,  then  a  celebrated  dancing-master, 
was  actually  playing  on  the  violin  by  his  bed-side, 
in  order  to  amuse  him.  This  man  supported  him 
in  his  last  moments,  and  he  expired  in  his  arms. 
Frederick  had  been  previously  ill  for  some  months, 
from  an  abscess  formed  in  the  thorax,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  blow  from  a  cricket-ball  during  a 
match  played  at  Cliefden,  near  Maidenhead-bridge. 


1751.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  133 

No  unpleasant  result  was  at  first  feared  from  the 
shock ;  but  the  complaint  soon  manifested  itself 
with  considerable  pain  and  suffering,  and  finally 
put  an  end  to  his  existence  by  the  bursting  of  the 
abscess,  or  imposthume,  as  already  stated. 

His  sudden  decease  seems  not  to  have  been 
expected  at  court,  for  the  King  had  sat  down  to 
play,  and  was  engaged  at  cards,  when  a  page, 
despatched  from  Leicester-house,  arrived  with 
intelligence  that  his  Royal  Highness  had  just  ex- 
pired. It  is  said,  however,  that  the  King  received 
the  announcement  without  manifesting  either  sur- 
prise or  emotion ;  but  rising  up  calmly,  he  crossed 
the  apartment  to  the  card-table  of  the  Countess 
of  Yarmouth,  and  leaning  over  her  chair  said  to 
her  in  German,  in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  "  Freddy 
is  dead!"  when  he  withdrew  into  his  closet.  This 
calmness  has  been  considered  as  want  of  feeling ; 
but  surely  it  may  also  be  more  liberally  viewed 
as  manly  resignation.  It  is  true  that  the  family 
quarrel  still  remained  ;  but  the  guarded  conduct 
of  kings  must  not  always  be  tried  by  the  rules  of 
common  life  ;  besides,  George  II.  had  often  faced 
death  in  the  field,  a  circumstance  which  adds 
apparent  stoicism  to  a  man's  habits,  without  even 
injuring  his  finer  feelings. 

According  to  Lord  Melcombe's  account,  party 
entered  even  into  the  arrangements  for  the  Prince's 
funeral.     He  says  that  on  the  13th  of  April  he 


134  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1751. 

went  at  seven  o'clock,  according  to  the  order,  to 
the  House  of  Lords,  when  the  many  slights  that 
the  poor  remains  of  a  much-loved  master  and 
friend  had  met  with,  and  who  was  then  preparing 
the  last  trouble  he  could  give  his  enemies,  sunk 
him  so  low,  that  for  an  hour  he  was  incapable  of 
making  any  observation. 

The  corpse  had  been  removed  the  preceding 
evening  to  the  Prince's  chamber  in  the  House  of 
Lords,  where  the  whole  bed-chamber  were  or- 
dered to  attend  from  ten  in  the  morning  till  the  in- 
terment; but  there  was  not  the  attention,  says 
Lord  Melcombe,  to  order  the  Green  Cloth  to  pro- 
vide them  a  bit  of  bread,  and  these  gentlemen,  of 
the  first  rank  and  distinction,  in  discharge  of  their 
last  sad  duty  to  a  loved  and  loving  master,  were 
forced  to  bespeak  a  great  cold  dinner  from  a  com- 
mon tavern  in  the  neighbourhood.  At  three 
o'clock  indeed  they  vouchsafed  to  think  of  a  din- 
ner, and  ordered  one  ;  but  the  disgrace  was  com- 
plete— the  tavern  dinner  was  paid  for,  and  given 
to  the  poor. 

When  the  procession  began,  with  the  exception 
of  the  lords  appointed  to  hold  the  pall,  and  those 
of  the  Prince's  household,  there  was  not  one 
English  lord,  not  one  bishop,  and  only  one  Irish 
peer  (Limerick),  two  sons  of  dukes,  one  baron's 
son,  and  two  privy  councillors.  The  reason  seems 
to  be  that  no  notice  was  given  that  any  would  be 


1751.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  135 

admitted  to  walk  in  the  procession  until  about 
seven  hours  before  the  funeral.  There  was  not 
even  a  canopy  from  the  House  of  Lords  to  the 
Abbey,  and  the  funeral  service  was  performed 
without  either  anthem  or  organ.* 

*  Upon  this  melancholy  occasion,  Doctor,  afterwards  Bishop 
Newton,  preached  a  sermon  at  St.  George's,  Hanover-square, 
which  he  was  desired  by  some  of  the  noblemen  and  gentle- 
men of  the  vestry  to  publish  ;  but  he  excused  himself,  as  it  was 
a  hasty  composition,  unfit  for  the  public  eye.  However,  the 
report  of  it  reached  the  ear  of  the  Princess  of  Wales ;  and  Lady 
Charlotte  Edwin  was  employed  by  her  Royal  Highness  to  con- 
vey her  desire  that  she  might  be  favoured  with  a  copy  of  the 
sermon  to  peruse  it.  Such  a  request  could  not  be  refused  ;  but 
it  was  complied  with,  upon  condition  that  after  her  Royal  High- 
ness, at  her  leisure,  had  perused  the  sermon,  it  should  be  re- 
turned ;  and  Lady  Charlotte  most  obligingly  undertook  to  carry 
it  and  bring  it  again.  The  part  in  question,  relating  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  was  as  follows  : — 

"  If  ever  there  was  an  occasion  that  might  justify  an  excess 
of  grief,  it  is  the  death  of  our  well-beloved  Prince,  with  whom 
so  many  hopes — so  many  expectations  are  cut  off,  and  blasted 
in  their  fullest  bloom.  It  is  the  most  fatal  blow  that  this  nation 
has  felt  for  many  many  years;  and  the  more  we  consider  it, 
the  more  reason  we  find  to  lament  it:  indeed  it  is  but  justice  to 
grieve, — it  would  be  stupidity,  or  something  worse,  not  to  do 
it.  We  cannot  surely  help  grieving  for  his  widowed  consort, 
whose  loss  is  unspeakable  as  it  is  irreparable  ;  the  loss  not  only 
of  greatness,  but  what  is  more,  of  happiness:  for  I  believe 
there  scarcely  ever  was,  in  private  life,  a  greater  instance  of 
conjugal  affection  and  domestic  felicity  :  and  every  humane 
heart  must  bleed  to  see  such  virtue  in  such  distress,  and  the 
more,  on  account  of  her  present  tender  condition.     Who  like- 


136  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1751. 

The  intercourse  between  the  King  and  the 
young  Prince  became  now  more  frequent.  On 
Sunday  the  2d  of  June,  the  Prince  of  Wales  and 

wise  can  think  of  so  many  fine  children  left  without  a  father, 
and  not  bewail  their  loss? — for  as  he  was  the  most  affectionate 
of  husbands,  so  he  was  the  most  indulgent  of  parents  :  and  his 
care  and  inspection  and  authority  were  now  wanted  more  and 
more,  to  form  their  minds  and  manners.  Such  a  calamity  in 
any  private  family  would  be  very  affecting  ;  but  it  must  needs 
affect  us  much  more  sensibly,  as  they  are  the  children  of  the 
public,  and  the  hopes  of  the  rising  generation.  His  servants, 
too,  have  lost  a  most  kind  and  gracious  master,  whom  they  not 
only  honoured  but  loved,  and  served  out  of  affection  as  much 
as  duty  ;  for  he  was  a  friend — a  father,  as  it  were,  to  all  his 
family  :  and  it  is  a  grievous  misfortune,  not  only  to  be  deprived 
of  present  comforts,  but  also  to  be  defeated  of  future  expecta- 
tions. Besides  the  distress  which  this  heavy  stroke  has  brought 
upon  individuals,  upon  private  persons,  and  private  families,  it 
is  impossible  to  think  without  horror  of  the  infinite  loss  to  the 
public.  Religion  hath  lost  a  defender, — liberty  hath  lost  a 
guardian, — trade  hath  lost  a  protector, — the  arts  have  lost  a 
patron, — all  mankind  have  lost  a  friend:  for  never  was  there  in 
a  person  of  such  eminence  more  humanity  and  condescension 
to  the  lowest,  more  pleasing  courtesy  and  engaging  address  to 
the  highest,  more  beneficence  to  all  within  his  sphere,  or  more 
benevolence  to  all  without  it.  We  might  have  rested  under 
his  shadow,  whenever  God,  for  our  sins,  should  have  deprived 
us  of  his  Majesty's  mild  and  gracious  government ;  but  now  we 
have  a  dark  and  gloomy  prospect  before  us:  minorities  have 
always  been  unhappy  to  this  kingdom;  and  as  it  is  our  duty  at 
all  times  to  pray  "  for  kings,  and  for  all  that  are  in  authority," 
we  should  now,  more  ardently  than  ever,  pray  for  the  life  of 
our  most  excellent  Sovereign,  that    God    would  confirm    his 


1751.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  137 

Prince  Edward  went,  for  the  first  time  in  their 
equipages,  to  Kensington  ;  the  footmen  of  his 
Royal  Highness  in  the  livery  of  the  late  Prince  ; 

health,  prolong  his  days,  direct  his  counsels,  unite  his  friends, 
and  defeat  the  designs  of  his  enemies,  that  so  this  fatal  loss 
may  in  some  measure  be  repaired  to  us;  that  we  and  our  chil- 
dren, and  our  children's  children,  may  continue  to  enjoy  our 
religion  and  liberties  under  his  and  his  Royal  Family's  auspices, 
till  time  shall  be  no  more/' 

The  sermon  was  detained  about  a  week;  and  then  Lady 
Charlotte  Edwin  was  again  commissioned  by  her  Royal  High- 
ness to  restore  it,  with  her  thanks  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  with 
her  desire  that  she  might  appoint  the  author  one  of  her  chap- 
lains; and  the  warrant  was  made  out  accordingly,  and  sent 
him  :  and  ever  afterwards,  both  privately  in  his  times  of  wait- 
ing, and  publicly  in  her  drawing-room,  she  was  particularly 
gracious  to  him. 

The  following  anecdotes  were  inserted  in  a  letter  from  an  in- 
genious French  gentleman,   at  that  time  residing  in   England, 
to  his  friend  abroad  : — 
"  Dear  Friend, 

"  I  have  a  thousand  things  to  say  to  you  ;  but,  penetrated  as 
I  am  by  the  fatal  loss  which  we  have  experienced,  I  can  enter- 
tain you  with  no  other  subject.  Besides,  I  know  that  you  in- 
terest yourself  in  the  fate  of  all  great  men,  of  what  nation 
soever  they  may  be,  which  assures  me  that  you  will  sympa- 
thize with  us  in  the  grief  which  the  death  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales  has  occasioned ;  the  circumstances  of  which  I  cannot 
enter  into.  Paleness  and  melancholy  sit  on  the  faces  of  all 
that  we  meet  in  the  streets  of  this  great  metropolis,  and  those 
who  had  the  honour  of  attending  the  Prince,  are  like  persons 
distracted;  even  those  who  have  only  seen  him  at  a  distance 
cannot  mention  his  name  without  the  tribute  of  a  tear. 


138  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1751. 

and  those  of  Prince  Edward  in  crimson,  turned 
up  with  green. 

The  Princes  attended  his  Majesty  to  chapel ;  a 

"  The  Prince  had  long  reigned  in  the  hearts  of  his  people, 
which,  indeed,  he  deserved,  as  he  had  nothing  of  that  haughti- 
ness which  is  too  often  the  characteristic  of  persons  of  his  rank  : 
nothing  was  more  easy  than  to  have  access  to  his  presence, 
and  he  was  always  ready  to  hear  complaints,  or  to  receive  pe- 
titions. He  was  an  affectionate  husband,  a  tender  father,  being 
never  so  happy  as  when  he  was  surrounded  by  his  numerous 
and  charming  family,  who,  throwing  off*  in  his  presence  the 
restraint  which  stifles  social  love,  made  him  the  witness  of  their 
innocent  recreations.  I  have  met  him  twenty  times  in  his 
chaise  with  one  child  before  him,  whom  he  caressed  as  much 
as  if  this  had  been  an  only  one  ;  and  I  have  been  assured,  that 
after  a  short  absence,  when  he  has  revisited  his  little  family, 
his  embraces  were  generally  mixed  with  tears  of  joy.  It  is 
impossible  to  have  more  tenderness  and  respect  than  he  had 
for  the  Princess;  and  the  union  of  this  august  couple  was  pro- 
posed as  a  model  to  all  persons.  The  Prince  of  Wales  loved 
the  people  as  his  children  ;  and  sure  of  being  beloved  by  them, 
he  relied  on  their  affection  for  the  safety  of  his  person,  walking 
the  streets  without  guards,  and  oidy  followed  bv  a  couple  of 
servants.  In  this  manner  he  visited  the  manufactories,  where 
he  liberally  rewarded  the  workmen  ;  for  no  one  knew  better 
than  himself  the  necessity  of  encouraging  the  useful  arts. 
Sometimes  in  rowing-matches  on  the  water  he  would  distribute 
the  prizes  to  the  victors  with  his  own  hand  :  he  has  also  been 
seen  conversing  familiarly  with  a  company  of  fishermen  on 
matters  belonging  to  their  profession,  rewarding  them  hand- 
somely for  their  industry  and  information.  He  has  travelled 
through  several  counties  of  England,  where  he  has  entered 
without  ceremony  into  the  hut  of  a  labourer,  neither  disdainin"- 


1751.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  139 

few  days  after  which  the  King  made  an  excur- 
sion to  Kew,  attended  by  his  grandchildren. 
Shortly  after,  the  young  Prince  was  removed 

to  sit  down  with  the  family,  nor  to  partake  with  them  in  their 
humble  repast;  but  informing  himself  of  their  occupations  and 
circumstances,  and  relieving  their  wants  as  far  as  lay  in  his 
power.  Of  the  following  instance  of  his  goodness,  I  was  my- 
self an  eye-witness.  Being  in  the  park  one  morning  by  eight 
o'clock,  at  the  moment  the  Prince  entered  his  chair,  a  ragged 
soldier  who  had  walked  close  by  me,  approached  it.  The 
Prince  did  not  perceive  him  till  the  chairmen  had  taken  him 
up  ;  but  then,  immediately  on  perceiving  the  cripple,  he 
ordered  the  men  to  stop.  '  Where  did  you  lose  your  arm, 
my  friend  ?'  said  he. — '  At  Fontenoy,'  answered  the  soldier. 
— '  You  look  pale  :  are  you  in  bad  health  ? '  replied  the 
Prince.  —  '  Yes,  Sir,'  said  the  man,  '  since  the  loss  of  my 
arm,  1  have  remained  so  feeble,  that  the  least  labour  throws 
me  into  a  fever.'  —  'And  why  have  you  not  applied  to  be 
put  on  the  list  of  out-pensioners  ? '  —  'I  have  been  promised 
that,'  said  the  soldier;  '  but  wanting  a  friend,  many  others, 
less  miserable,  have  been  preferred  before  me.' 

"  I  had  kept  my  eyes  on  the  Prince  during  the  whole  of 
the  dialogue,  and  I  could  perceive  from  his  countenance  the 
movements  of  his  heart,  which  expressed  the  most  lively  sen- 
sibility. Having  ordered  his  gentleman  to  give  the  poor  crea- 
ture four  guineas,  he  said,  '  My  friend,  come  and  see  me,  and 
I  will  endeavour  to  get  you  into  Chelsea.' 

"For  some  years  past  the  Prince  had  redoubled  his  applica- 
tion to  reading.  He  had  a  happy  memory,  and  on  any  pas- 
sage of  history  being  cited,  he  could  tell  immediately  whether 
it  was  pertinently  or  correctly  stated.  He  also  sought  to  in- 
form himself  in  every  art  and  science  becoming  a  prince, 
without  overlooking  or  despising  the  most  mechanical,  being 


140  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1751. 

from  his  mother,  and  resided  with  the  King,  for 
a  short  period,  at  Kensington :  but  he  suffered  not 
the  blandishments  of  a  court  to  obliterate  the 
memory  of  his  father,  evincing  upon  many  occa- 
sions his  filial  piety  and  fond  remembrance,  even 
to  shedding  tears  when  the  late  Prince  was 
spoken  of. 

persuaded  that  nothing  was  little  or  mean  that  could  be  service- 
able to  society. 

"  The  only  fault  of  which  he  was  guilty  was  one  not  com- 
mon with  persons  of  his  station,  and  that  consisted  in  his  want 
of  indulgence  to  himself:  his  death  is  attributed  to  this  cause  ; 
and  though  he  was  ill  nine  days,  it  may  justly  be  esteemed 
sudden,  since  it  happened  at  the  time  when  his  physicians 
thought  him  out  of  danger  ;  and,  if  we  may  credit  public  re- 
port, they  assured  him  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  some 
minutes  before  his  death. 

"  His  Princess,  though  far  advanced  in  her  pregnancy,  never 
quitted  him  day  or  night  :  she  is  so  generally  beloved,  that  her 
affliction  greatly  augments  that  of  the  people,  as  her  own  is 
greatly  aggravated  by  the  grief  of  her  children,  who,  more 
sensible  than  is  common  at  their  age,  are  inconsolable. 

"  On  all  sides  prayers  are  heard  that  God  may  preserve  the 
King:  and  that  he  may  have  the  comfort  of  leaving  his  grand- 
son at  a  proper  age  to  assume  the  royal  sceptre.  A  thousand 
good  things  are  said  of  this  young  Prince,  and  of  the  nobleman 
to  whom  his  education  is  entrusted.  We  have  yet  received  no 
orders  for  mourning;  but  this  does  not  prevent  the  public  from 
preparing  for  it ;  every  one  being  desirous  of  shewing  his  sen- 
sibility of  this  heavy  loss.  The  grief  is  universal;  and  even 
those,  who  from  a  party  spirit  had  left  the  court,  cannot  help 
doing  justice  to  the  merit  of  the  Prince,  and  owning  that  he 
was  worthy  to  have  sat  on  the  British  throne." 


1751.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         141 

The  death  of  the  Prince  filled  the  Opposition 
with  the  greatest  consternation  and  confusion; 
and  the  first  measure  of  government  was  the  set- 
tlement of  a  regency,  which  was  done  upon  fair 
and  liberal  terms.  The  Princess  Dowager  was 
made  Regent,  and  guardian  of  the. minor,  as  well 
as  of  her  other  children;  but,  being  a  female, 
there  was  a  Council  of  regency  appointed,  consist- 
ing of  the  great  officers  of  state,  at  the  head  of 
which  was  named  the  Duke  of  Cumberland. 
Every  confidence,  however,  was  placed  in  the 
Princess.  No  harsh  limitations  were  thought  of; 
and  the  King  himself  frequently  visited  her,  treat- 
ing her  with  every  mark  of  respect,  attention,  and 
affection.  Every  pecuniary  arrangement  was 
also  made  and  paid  with  punctuality,  notwith- 
standing the  immense  drains  upon  the  public 
treasury. 

Though  Prince  George,  on  the  death  of  his 
father,  became  heir  apparent,  yet  he  did  not  suc- 
ceed of  course  as  Prince  of  Wales  :  nor  was  he 
particularly  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  the 
Royal  Family  until  that  creation  took  place  ;  for 
even  in  the  new  form  of  prayer  he  was  merely 
included  generally  —  the  form  being  to  pray 
for  "  Their  Royal  Highnesses  the  Princess  of 
Wales,  the  Duke,  the  Princesses,  the  issue  of 
the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  and  all  the 
Royal  Family." 


142  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1751. 

When  the  order  for  public  mourning  was 
issued  by  the  Earl  Marshal,  it  was  stated  to  be 
"  in  pursuance  of  an  order  of  Council,  dated 
March  22d,  1750,"  O.  S. ;  and  the  mourning  was 
required  to  be  the  "  deepest,  long  cloaks  only 
excepted." 

On  the  31st  of  March  there  was  a  great  court 
at  St.  James's,  it  being  the  first  time  the  King 
appeared  in  public  since  the  death  of  the  Prince. 
On  this  occasion,  Prince  George,  with  his  bro- 
thers, waited  upon  his  Majesty,  who,  in  the 
evening,  paid  a  visit  of  condolence  to  his  daugh- 
ter-in-law at  Leicester-house,  which  he  followed 
up  by  another  visit  on  the  4th  of  April,  paying 
great  attention  to  her  comforts,  and  ordering  the 
first  quarterly  payment  of  her  income  in  advance. 

On  the  4th  of  April  Prince  George,  at  a  general 
court  of  the  Society  of  the  Free  British  Fishery, 
was  unanimously  chosen  governor,  in  the  place  of 
his  late  parent ;  and  a  few  days  afterwards,  in 
consonance  with  a  message  from  the  King  to  the 
House  of  Peers,  his  Majesty  announced  the  ap- 
pointment of  the  regency,  consisting  of  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland  and  the  great  officers  of  state,  in  case 
#of  a  royal  demise  before  his  successor  should  at- 
tain the  age  of  eighteen  years. 

Late  in  April,  the  Prince  was  created  Prince 
of  Wales  and  Earl  of  Chester.  The  creation  took 
place  by  letters  patent  ordered  on  the  20th  of  April. 


1752.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         143 

The  patent  passed  the  Great  Seal  oa  the  22d,  in 
the  evening,  and  on  the  ensuing-  morning  was  pre- 
sented to  his  Royal  Highness  by  the  Lord  Chan- 
cellor. The  titles  of  the  Prince,  previous  to  this 
creation,  were,  "  Prince  of  Great  Britain,  Electo- 
ral Prince  of  Brunswick  Lunenburgh,  Duke  of 
Edinburgh,  Marquis  of  the  Isle  of  Ely,  Earl  of 
Eltham,  Viscount  of  Launceston,  Baron  of  Snow- 
don,  and  K.  G.  On  the  29th,  by  order  of  the  King 
in  council,  the  prayer  for  the  Royal  Family  was 
ordered  to  be  in  the  following  form,  "Their  Royal 
Highnesses  George  Prince  of  Wales,  the  Princess 
Dowager  of  Wales,  the  Duke,  the  Princesses, 
and  all  the  Royal  Family." 

1752. 

When  the  Prince  died,  as  already  stated,  it  was 
considered  that  there  was  no  longer  a  bond  of 
union  for  the  political  party  which  had  surrounded 
him,  particularly  as  the  Princess  Dowager,  not- 
withstanding the  charges  so  often  repeated  against 
her,  gave  no  encouragement  to  those  inclined  to 
oppose  the  government;  so  that  the  Princes 
friends,  as  they  were  called,  now  wholly  with- 
drew from  connexion  with  the  infantine  heir  ap- 
parent*.    At  this  period  the   Earl   of  Harcourt 

*  About  this  time,  Lord  Chesterfield  drew  up  and  presented 
to  his  Majesty  the  following  petition,  which,  as  a  piece  of  wit 
and  humour,  is  entitled  to  preservation. 


144  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1752. 

» 

was  governor,  and  the  Bishop  of  Norwich,  Dr. 
Hayter,  was  preceptor  to  the  Prince :  and  they 
have  been  accused  of  not  only  exerting  their  in- 

"  To  the  King's  Most  Excellent  Majesty,  the  humble  Peti- 
tion of  Philip  Earl  of  Chesterfield,  Knight  of  the  most 
noble  Order  of  the  Garter,  &c. 

"  Shevveth, 

"  That  vour  Petitioner  being  rendered  by  deafness  as  use- 
less and  inefficient  as  most  of  his  contemporaries  are  by  nature, 
hopes,  in  common  with  them,  to  share  your  Majesty's  royal 
favour  and  bounty,  whereby  he  may  be  enabled  to  save  or 
to  spend,  as  he  may  think  proper,  a  great  deal  more  than  he 
possibly  can  at  present. 

"  That  your  Petitioner  having  had  the  honour  to  serve  your 
Majesty  in  several  very  lucrative  employments,  seems  thereby 
entitled  to  a  lucrative  retreat  from  business,  and  to  enjoy  otium 
cum  dignitate,  that  is,  '  leisure  and  a  large  pension.' 

"  Your  Petitioner  humbly  apprehends,  that  he  has  a  justifi- 
able claim  to  a  considerable  pension,  as  he  neither  wants,  nor 
deserves,  but  only  desires,  and  (pardon,  dread  Sir,  an  expres- 
sion you  are  pretty  much  used  to)  insists  upon  it. 

"  Your  Petitioner  is  little  apt,  and  always  unwilling,  to  speak 
advantageously  of  himself;  but  as  some  degree  of  justice  is  due 
to  oneself,  as  well  as  to  others,  he  begs  lea\e  to  represent* 
that  his  loyalty  to  your  Majesty  has  always  been  unshaken, 
even  in  the  worst  of  times;  that  particularly  in  the  late  unna- 
tural rebellion,  when  the  young  Pretender  had  advanced  as  far 
as  Derby,  at  the  head  of  an  army  of  at  least  three  thousand 
men,  composed  of  the  flower  of  the  Scotch  nobility  and  gentry, 
who  had  virtue  enough  to  avow,  and  courage  enough  to  ven- 
ture their  lives,  in  support  of  their  real  principles,  your  Peti- 
tioner did  not  join  him,  as  unquestionably  he  might  have  done, 
had  he  been  so  inclined;  but,  on  the   contrary,  raised  at  the 


1752.      HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.  145 

fluence  to  detach  his  affections  from  all  those 
who  had  enjoyed  the  favour  of  his  deceased 
parent,    but    even,    by   their   example   and  dis- 

public  expense  sixteen  companies  of  one  hundred  men  each, 
in  defence  of  your  Majesty's  undoubted  right  to  the  imperial 
crown  of  these  realms;  which  service  remains  to  this  hour  un- 
rewarded. 

"  Your  Petitioner  is  well  aware  that  your  Majesty's  civil  list 
must  necessarily  be  in  a  very  weak  and  languid  condition, 
after  the  various  and  profuse  evacuations  it  has  undergone ; 
but  at  the  same  time  he  humbly  hopes,  that  an  argument  which 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  urged  against  any  other  person 
whatsoever,  will  not  in  a  singular  manner  be  urged  against  him, 
especially  as  he  has  some  reasons  to  believe,  that  the  defici- 
encies in  the  pension  list  will  by  no  means  be  the  last  to  be 
made  good  by  Parliament. 

"  Your  Petitioner  begs  leave  to  observe,  that  a  small  pen- 
sion is  disgraceful,  as  it  intimates  opprobrious  indigence  on  the 
part  of  the  receiver,  and  a  degrading  sort  of  dole  or  charity  on 
the  part  of  the  giver;  but  that  a  great  one  implies  dignity  and 
affluence  on  the  one  side  ;  on  the  other,  esteem  and  considera- 
tion, which  doubtless  your  Majesty  must  entertain  in  the 
highest  degree  for  those  great  personages  whose  reputable 
names  glare  in  capitals  upon  your  eleemosynary  list.  Your 
Petitioner  humbly  flatters  himself  that,  upon  this  principle,  less 
than  three  thousand  pounds  a-year  will  not  I  e  proposed  to  him, 
and  if  made  gold,  the  more  agreeable. 

"  Your  Petitioner  persuades  himself  that  your  Majesty  will 
not  impute  this  his  humble  application  to  any  mean  interested 
motive,  of  which  he  has  always  had  the  utmost  abhorrence.  No, 
Sir!  he  confesses  his  weakness:  honour  alone  is  his  object; 
honour  is  his  passion  ;  that  honour  which  is  sacred  to  him  as 
a  peer,  and  tender  to  him  as  a  gentleman;    that  honour,  in 

VOL.   I.  L 


14G  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1754. 

course,    of    imparting    sentiments   of   disrespect 
towards  his  mother. 

That  the  fact  was  so  has  been  re-asserted  on  the 
ground  that  the  Prince  himself,  after  coming  to 
the  throne,  actually  acknowledged  his  error  with 
honest  contrition  and  with  suitable  apologies  :  and 
the  attempt,  if  true,  was  much  facilitated  by  the 
constant  jealousy  and  suspicion  which  George  II. 
latterly  felt  for  the  Princess,  even,  perhaps,  to  a 
rooted  dislike ;  so  that,  now,  all  those  who  wished 
to  be  well  received  at  St.  James's,  were  obliged  to 
absent  themselves  from  Leicester-fields,  and  the 
youthful  heir  was  thus  not  only  neglected  and 

short,  to  which  he  has  sacrificed  all  other  considerations.  It 
is  upon  this  single  principle  that  your  Petitioner  solicits  an 
honour,  which  at  present  in  so  extraordinary  a  manner  adorns 
the  British  peerage  ;  and  which,  in  the  most  shining  periods  of 
ancient  Greece,  distinguished  the  greatest  men,  who  were  fed 
in  the  Prytaneum  at  the  expense  of  the  public. 

"  Upon  this  honour,  far  dearer  to  your  Petitioner  than  his 
life,  he  begs  leave  in  the  most  solemn  manner  to  assure  your 
Majesty,  that  in  case  you  shall  be  pleased  to  grant  this  his 
most  modest  request,  he  will  honourably  support  and  promote, 
to  the  utmost  of  his  abilities,  the  very  worst  measures  that  the 
very  worst  ministers  can  suggest;  but  at  the  same  time,  should 
he  unfortunately,  and  in  a  singular  manner,  be  branded  by  a 
refusal,  he  thinks  himself  obliged  in  honour  to  declare,  that 
he  will  with  the  utmost  acrimony  oppose  the  very  best  mea- 
sures which  your  Majesty  yourself  shall  ever  propose  or 
promote. 

"  And  your  Petitioner,  &c." 


1752.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  147 

left  in  ignorance  of  the  court,  but  subjected  to  the 
machinations  of  such  intriguers  and  selfish  poli- 
ticians as  might  found  their  hopes  of  future  great- 
ness upon  the  perverted  disposition  of  the  future 
Monarch. 

The  first  specific  act  in  the  system  alluded  to, 
was  to  bring  charges  against  Mr.  Stone,  the 
Prince's  sub-governor;  and  it  was  stated  to  the 
King  that  he  was  a  Jacobite  ;  but  the  King  refer- 
ring the  matter  to  the  cabinet,  the  charge  was  dis- 
missed on  Mr.  Stone's  own  defence. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  Lord  Mansfield,  then 
Mr.  Murray,  and  the  Bishop  of  Gloucester,  Dr. 
Johnson,  were  implicated  in  the  charge,  and 
obliged  also  to  defend  themselves,  which  they 
did  most  triumphantly.  Yet  the  charges  were  per- 
severed in,  the  governor  and  preceptor  threaten- 
ing to  resign  unless  the  sub-governor,  Mr.  Scott, 
the  sub-preceptor,  and  Mr.  Cresset,  the  Princess's 
secretary,  were  dismissed ;  but  the  King  was 
convinced  that  there  was  no  foundation  for  the 
assertion  that  these  gentlemen  were  instilling 
arbitrary  notions  into  his  grandson,  and  therefore 
he  accepted  the  proferred  resignation,  appointing 
the  Earl  of  Waldegrave  to  succeed  Lord  Harcourt, 
and  the  Bishop  of  Peterborough,  Dr.  Thomas,  to 
supersede  the  preceptor. 

A  very  intelligent  and  loyal  writer,  treating  of 
this  subject,  says,  that  the  Duke  of  Newcastle 

l  2 


148  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1752. 

and  his  brother,  Harry  Pelham,  who  had  long  pos- 
sessed an  ascendancy  over  the  mind  of  the  sove- 
reign in  such  a  degree  as  to  be  almost  his  masters 
in  the  disposal  of  places,  took  upon  them  to  meddle 
in  the  internal  affairs  of  the  family  of  the  Princess 
Dowager  of  Wales.     They  wanted  to  have  the 
entire  management  of  the  heir  apparent;  being 
apprehensive,  no  doubt,  that,  in  the  event  of  his 
coining  to  the  crown,  their  power  would  cease,  or 
be  abridged.     To  effect  their  object,  they  began 
to  infuse  into  the  King's  mind  a  jealousy  of  the 
persons  who  had  the  charge  of  the  Prince's  edu- 
cation ;  and  in  a  long  memorial  they  went  so  far 
as  to  accuse  the  noblemen  and  others  about  his 
Royal  Highness  of  being  infidels  and  Jacobites, 
and  with  having  put  dangerous   books   into  the 
hands  of  their  pupil.     The   King  was  alarmed ; 
but,  instead  of  taking  the  course  which  the  ac- 
cusers expected,   and  turning  the  persons  out  of 
their  employment,  he  ordered  a  committee  to  exa- 
mine into  the  truth  of  the  story.   The  whole  affair 
is  then  accounted  for  by  stating,  that  when  the 
Prince  was  in  his  fifteenth  year,  he  happened  to 
pass  through  a  room  where  one  of  the  pages  had 
casually  left  the  History  of  the  English  Revolution, 
written  in  French  by  Father  Orleans,  and  trans- 
lated by  Archdeacon  Echard.    The  book  attracted 
the  notice  of  the  Prince,  who  took  it  to  his  closet, 
and    entered    upon    the  perusal   of  it  with  that 


1752.  IJIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  149 

intense  curiosity  which  ever  marked  his  cha- 
racter. While  he  was  thus  engaged,  a  nobleman, 
then  in  opposition,  chanced  to  enter  the  apart- 
ment, and  having  taken  particular  notice  of  the 
book,  but  without  making  any  observation  at  the 
time  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  Prince  ob- 
tained it,  he  immediately  reported  the  circum- 
stance to  his  party,  by  whom  it  was  eagerly  seized 
and  converted  into  a  grave  matter  of  charge  against 
the  persons  who  had  the  care  of  his  Royal  High- 
ness's  education.  These  meddlers  even  pro- 
ceeded so  far  as  to  draw  up  a  long  memorial  on 
the  occasion,  which  was  presented  in  due  form 
to  George  II.  who  knew  very  little  about  books, 
but  was  sensibly  alarmed  at  the  idea  of  what  was 
called  Toryism,  which  he,  like  many  others,  con- 
founded with  popery  and  jacobitism.  As  the 
good  old  King,  however,  was  not  master  of  the 
subject,  he  very  prudently  caused  an  inquiry  to  be 
instituted  by  those  who  were  competent  judges  ; 
the  consequence  of  which  was,  a  complete  expla- 
nation on  the  part  of  the  Prince,  the  expulsion  of 
the  poor  page,  and  the  disgrace  of  the  informers. 

It  is  but  fair  to  add,  however,  that  in  the  Life 
of  the  Earl  of  Chatham  it  is  positively  asserted, 
that  the  Bishop  of  Norwich  found  some  very  im- 
proper books  put  into  the  hands  of  his  pupil,  and 
that  he  complained  of  it  to  the  Duke  of  Newcastle, 
soon  after  which,  he  and  Lord  Harcourt  resigned. 


150  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1752. 

The  books  are  said  to  have  been  Father  Orleans' 
Revolutions  of  the  House  of  Stuart;  Ramsey's 
Travels  of  Cyrus  ;  Sir  Robert  Filmer's  Patriarch ; 
with  others  inculcating  the  same  principles. 

Yet  the  Princess  herself  afterwards  declared 
that  the  stories  about  the  history  of  Pere  D'Or- 
leans  were  false ;  and  that  though  there  was  a 
dispute  which  gave  some  colour  to  the  charges, 
yet  it  arose  solely  between  the  Bishop  and  Prince 
Edward  respecting  Pere  Perefix's  History  of 
Henry  IV.  We  may  also  believe  that  the  story 
was  not  true,  from  the  frequent  intercourse  of  the 
Prince  with  his  royal  grandfather ;  for  he  and 
Prince  Edward  were  now  in  the  usual  habit  of 
riding  out  on  horseback,  often  visiting  the  King 
at  St.  James's,  and  making  long  visits,  during 
which  any  thing  improper  would  have  been  dis- 
covered. 

1753. 

On  the  9th  of  January  the  Bishop  of  Peterbo- 
rough was  appointed  preceptor  to  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  and  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  Princess, 
from  the  extraordinary  care  and  proper  manner 
manifested  in  his  conduct,  whilst  the  royal  chil- 
dren loved  him,  and  were  much  pleased  with  his 
instructions. 

The  course  of  education  was  now  of  the  most 
beneficial  kind  ;  and  the  public  were  fully  satis- 


1753.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  151 

fied  that  the  Prince,  instead  of  being  separated 
from  his  remaining  parent,  should  be  especially 
under  her  care,  whilst  completing  his  elementary 
initiation  into  literature  and  politics.  Leaving 
those  subjects  to  the  proper  persons,  it  was  the 
Princess's  care  to  educate  him  in  the  protestant 
principles  and  constant  practice  of  religion,  in 
which  she  was  ably  assisted  by  Dr.  Stephen 
Hales,  whom  she  appointed  clerk  of  the  closet, 
whose  task  was  certainly  much  lightened  by  the 
natural  disposition  of  his  youthful  pupil— affection- 
ate and  gentle,  and  free  from  every  appearance 
of  vicious  propensities.  In  the  plan,  however,  of 
keeping  the  Prince  exempt  from  the  vices  of  the 
age,  there  was,  perhaps,  too  much  and  unnecessary 
strictness ;  as  it  went  so  far  as  even  to  restrain 
him,  with  a  few  exceptions,  from  all  intercourse 
with  the  young  nobility,  confining  his  knowledge 
of  the  world  to  books,  and  the  social  circle  at 
Leicester-house,  which,  though  select  and  cheer- 
ful as  well  as  unrestrained,  was  not  adapted  to 
give  that  manliness  of  character  necessary  for  a 
monarch,  and  might  have  been  productive  of  much 
evil,  had  not  the  Prince's  own  natural  resolution, 
since  denominated  obstinacy,  preserved  him  from 
acquiring  that  milkiness  of  character  which  might 
have  been  expected. 

Though  Lord  Bute  did  not  at  present  hold  .any 
ostensible  situation  about  the  Prince,  yet  he  took 


152  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1753. 

part  in  his  education;  and  it  is  said  that  from 
him  the  Prince  derived  his  principal  knowledge  of 
the  constitution  ;  Bute  actually  drawing  his  sub- 
jects for  conversation  from  Blackstone's  Commen- 
taries, which  that  learned  judge  permitted  him  to 
see  in  MS.  and  even  to  lay  before  the  Prince  for 
his  perusal. 

When  Lord  Bute  was  first  appointed  governor 
to  the  Prince,  he  was  known  to  be  possessed  of 
abilities,  and  to  be  of  a  conduct  decorous  and 
correct :  yet  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the 
King  was  very  averse  to  his  appointment,  and 
only  yielded  in  compliance  with  his  daughter-in- 
law's  partiality  and  perseverance.  It  must  not, 
however,  be  allowed  to  pass  unnoticed,  that 
Mr.  Nichols,  a  judicious  observer  of  political 
events,  and  in  the  habit  jof  associating  with  those 
who  remembered  that  period,  positively  states 
that  in  intellectual  powers  the  Princess  Dowager 
was  far  superior  to  Lord  Bute,  who  did  not 
suggest,  but  merely  received,  her  opinions  and 
directions,  founded  upon  the  ideas  of  government 
which  she  had  imbibed  at  a  German  court. 

His  Majesty's  conduct,  however,  through  life 
was  too  constitutional  for  us  to  suppose  that  ar- 
bitrary maxims  had  been  inculcated  to  the  ex- 
tent generally  asserted.  If  they  were,  then  the 
more  merit  is  due  to  our  departed  Sovereign  for 
having  overcome  their  influence  upon  his  mind. 


1753.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  153 

The  Prince's  character  at  this  period  is  curiously 
delineated    in    a   conversation   related    by   Lord 
Melcombe  with  the  Princess  Dowager,  who  said 
that  the  public  were  very  good  to  her,  and  that 
George  had  no  other  way  of  thinking,  and  would 
certainly  act  accordingly  towards  her;   but  yet 
she  durst  not  let  any  body  have  the  comfort   of 
knowing  it,  lest  they  should  put  every  thing  into 
a  flame ;  adding   that  he   was  very  honest,   but 
she  wished  that  he  was  a  little  more  forward,  and 
less  childish  at  his  age  (then  fourteen),  but  that 
she  hoped  his  preceptors  would  yet  improve  him. 
Lord  Melcombe  then  asked  what  methods  of  in- 
struction they  took  with  him ;  what  they  read  to 
him  or  made  him  read ;  and  whether  he   shewed 
a    particular    inclination    to  any   of   the    people 
about  him.     To  which  the  Princess  replied,  that 
she  really  did  not  well  know  what  they  taught 
him  ;    but    to    speak  freely,    she  was  afraid  not 
much;  that  they  were  in  the  country,  and  fol- 
lowed their  diversions,  and  not  much  else  that 
she  could  discover.     She  also  stated,  that  when- 
ever Mr.  Stone  talked  to  the  Prince  of  the  gene- 
ral frame  and  nature  of  the  government  and  con- 
stitution, and  of  the  general  course  and  manner  of 
business,  he  seemed  to   give   a  proper  attention, 
and  often  made  particular  remarks  ;  but  she  did 
not  consider  the  bishop  as  at  all  fitted  to  convey 
knowledge   to   children;    for   she    did    not  well 


154  GEOltGE    THE    THIRD,  1753. 

understand  him  herself,  his  thoughts  seeming  to 
be  too  many  for  his  words. 

With  respect  to  his  morals,  the  Princess  said 
that  she  did  not  observe  the  Prince  to  take  very 
particularly  to  any  one  about  him  but  to  his 
brother  Edward  (afterwards  Duke  of  York);  and 
she  was  very  glad  of  it,  for  the  young  people  of 
quality  were  so  ill  educated,  and  so  very  vicious, 
that  they  frightened  her. 

There  further  appears,  from  this  conversation, 
something  very  amiable  in  the  royal  mother's 
mode  of  bringing  up  her  children  ;  as  she  de- 
clared that  she  did  all  in  her  power  to  inculcate 
upon  the  young  Prince's  mind  a  tender  regard  for 
the  memory  of  his  father,  and  whenever  any  of 
the  little  ones  behaved  wrong  or  idly  (as  children 
will  d*£)  to  any  that  belonged  to  the  late  Prince, 
she  always  asked  them  how  they  thought  their 
father  would  have  liked  to  see  them  behave  so 
to  any  body  that  belonged  to  him  and  that  he 
valued ;  and  told  them  that  they  ought  to  have 
the  more  kindness  for  them  because  they  had 
lost  their  friend  and  protector,  who  was  their's 
also.  This  she  described  as  having  always  a 
powerful  erTect,  and  making  a  proper  impression 
upon  them.  This  gained  for  her  a  momentary 
popularity,  at  least  with  the  higher  ranks ;  and  on 
the  30th  November,  celebrated  at  St.  James's 
as  the  Princess  Dowager's   birth-day,    and    also 


1753.         ins  court,  and  family.  155 

at  Leicester-house,  the  Countess  of  Falmouth 
actually  fainted  away  in  the  drawing-room,  occa- 
sioned by  the  heat  of  the  overwhelming  crowd, 
added  to  the  excessive  weight  of  her  clothes, 
which  were  the  richest  and  finest  ever  seen. 

A  few  sketches  from  Lord  Melcombe's  Diary 
will  further  illustrate  the  mode  of  education  of 
the  youthful  heir  at  this  period.  On  one  occa- 
sion, (November  1753)  his  lordship  says,  "  The 
Princess  sent  for  me  to  attend  her  between  eight 
and  nine  o'clock.  I  went  to  Leicester-house, 
expecting  a  small  company  and  a  little  music,  but 
found  nobody  but  her  Royal  Highness.  She  made 
me  draw  a  stool  and  sit  by  the  fire-side.  Soon 
after  came  in  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  Prince 
Edward,  and  then  the  Lady  Augusta,  all  in  an 
undress,  and  took  their  stools  and  sat  round  the 
fire  with  us.  We  continued  talking  of  familiar 
occurrences  till  between  ten  and  eleven,  with 
the  ease,  unreservedness,  and  unconstraint,  as 
if  one  had  dropped  into  a  sister's  house,  that 
had  a  family,  to  pass  the  evening.  It  is  much  to 
be  wished  that  the  Princes  conversed  familiarly 
with  more  people  of  a  certain  knowledge  of  the 
world.  The  Princess's  attention  to  me  seems  an 
indication  of  a  good  heart,  as  if  resolved,  as  far  as 
it  is  in  her  power,  that  the  Prince  should  not  for- 
get those  who  were  beloved  by,  and  deserved 
well  of  his  father." 


156  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1753* 

Shortly  after,  on  another  occasion,  he  says, 
"I  waited  upon  the  Princess  —  I  endeavoured 
(by  her  order)  to  explain  to  her  the  present  un- 
happy divisions  in  Ireland,  and  begged  her  to 
make  the  Prince  thoroughly  master  of  them.  I 
told  her  that  though  I  did  not  doubt  but  that  the 
present  heats  would  somehow,  and  in  appearance, 
be  allayed,  yet  I  was  sincerely  grieved  at  the 
consequences  which  might,  from  indisposing  num- 
bers of  a  rich  and  thriving  people,  most  cordially 
attached  to  the  family  hitherto,  arise  in  a  new 
and  young  reign ;  that  I  did  not  like  the  pro- 
spect. She  replied,  with  a  visible  alteration  in 
her  countenance  to  a  mixture  of  fierceness  and 
grief  that  I  never  had  seen  before,  '  It  is  true, 
and  we  have  other  very  disagreeable  prospects.' 
Then  very  suddenly  she  recovered  her  placid- 
ness  of  look  and  voice.  I  said,  '  Indeed,  Madam, 
I  do  not  see  any.'  What  at  that  moment  struck 
her  I  know  not,  but  it  was  very  forcibly  ;  perhaps 
it  might  be  the  Duke"  (Cumberland).  "  She  told 
me  some  instances  of  the  Prince's  feeling  the  sub- 
jection he  was  under.  I  have  since  heard  that 
Prince  Edward  complains  of  it,  and  of  his  brother's 
want  of  spirit.  I  said  it  was  to  be  wished  he 
could  have  more  company.  She  seemed  averse 
to  the  young  people,  from  the  excessive  bad  edu- 
cation they  had,  and  from  the  bad  examples  they 
gave." 


1754.  HIS    COURT,    AND     FAMILY.  157 

1754. 

From  this  year  may  be  dated  the  dawn  of  Bri- 
tish superiority  in  the  cotton  trade,  which  was 
become  so  worthy  of  notice  that  a  Mr  Sedgwick, 
a  very  considerable  wholesale  trader  in  printed 
goods,  felt  himself  called  upon  to  present  to  the 
Princess  Dowager  a  piece  of"  English  chintz"  of 
excellent  workmanship,  printed  on  an  English 
cotton,  and  which  drew  forth  high  encomiums 
from  that  lady,  who  declared  that  it  was  prefer- 
able to  any  Indian  chintz  whatever,  and  expressed 
her  determination  to  have  it  made  up  for  her  own 
wear,  as  an  encouragement  to  the  industry  and 
ingenuity  of  the  country. 

Another  instance  of  the  attention  paid  by  the 
Princess  Dowager  to  the  encouragement  of  native 
industry,  and  to  the  finding  employment  for  fe- 
males, was  manifested  on  the  Princess  Augusta's 
birth-day,  when  she  herself,  and  all  the  Princesses 
appeared  in  curious  hats  of  fine  thread  needlework 
on  book  muslin,  in  hopes  of  bringing  them  into 
fashion,  as  it  would  employ  a  great  number  of 
poor  girls,  making  useful  subjects  of  those  who 
would  otherwise  be  burdensome  to  the  public,  or 
exposed  to  all  the  horrors  of  vice  and  penury. 

Like  her  husband  too,  the  Princess  aimed  at 
literary  patronage  ;  and  the  following  whimsical 
anecdote  has  been  related  of  Gray.     When  this 


158  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1754. 

i 

ingenious  and  very  modest  writer  had  composed 
his  tragedy  of  The  Captives,  he  obtained  per- 
mission to  read  it  to  the  Princess  of  Wales,  at 
Leicester-house.  The  day  was  fixed,  and  the 
author  attended  with  punctuality,  but  being  un- 
equal to  the  trial  in  which  he  was  engaged,  when 
the  door  of  the  drawing-room,  where  the  Princess 
sat  with  her  ladies,  was  opened  for  his  admission, 
he  was  so  much  embarrassed  and  concerned  about 
making  his  proper  obeisance,  that  he  did  not  per- 
ceive a  small  stool  that  happened  to  be  near  him, 
and  stumbling  over  it,  he  fell  against  a  large  screen, 
which  overset,  and  threw  the  ladies  into  the  ut- 
most confusion.  The  condescension  of  her  Royal 
Highness  soon  put  matters  to  rights,  but  the  poor 
author  was  so  disordered  by  the  accident,  that 
he  blundered  through  the  piece  with  the  greatest 
difficulty,  and  left  a  very  unfavourable  impression 
on  the  minds  of  his  auditors,  with  respect  to  his^ 
talents  and  his  performance. 

In  all  these  literary  assemblies  the  young  Prince 
was  encouraged  to  assist,  and  he  early  displayed 
a  taste  for  general  literature,  but  particularly  for 
controversy ;  and  he  was  so  pleased  with  Leland's 
admirable  view  of  Deistical  Writers,  that  he  pur- 
chased one  hundred  copies,  solely  for  the  purpose 
of  distributing  them  wherever  he  thought  they 
might  be  useful,  manifesting  a  degree  of  judgment, 
discrimination,  and  liberality  scarcely  to  be  ex- 


1754.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  159 

pected  so  early  in  life.  It  was  about  this  time 
too  that  he  first  patronized  the  late  Earl  of  Liver- 
pool, who  had  attracted  public  notice  by  the 
verses  which  he  wrote  at  Oxford  on  the  demise 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 

We  may  here  observe,  that  the  young  Prince 
began  soon  to  pay  personal  attention  to  the  navy, 
and  expressed  himself  much  gratified  by  several 
aquatic  excursions  at  this  period.  On  the  22d 
of  July,  he  and  his  brother  Edward,  then  intended 
for  the  sea  service,  accompanied  by  their  uncle 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  and  attended  by  Lord 
Harcourt,  Lord  Anson,  Admiral  Rowley,  and  a 
great  number  of  persons  of  distinction,  went  by 
water  to  Woolwich,  followed  by  the  Lords  of  the 
Admiralty,  and  the  Commissioners  of  the  Navy 
and  Victualling,  in  their  respective  barges :  the 
whole  scene  having  evidently  a  grand  political 
effect,  in  addition  to  the  general  object  of  amuse- 
ment. The  young  Princes  did  not  make  it  a 
mere  gala  day,  but  paid  a  marked  attention  to 
every  thing  useful  and  curious,  taking  a  view  of  the 
several  works  in  the  dock  yard,  seeing  the  manner 
of  forging  an  anchor,  of  making  sails,  &c.  They 
next  visited  the  Royal  Anne,  a  first-rate  then 
building,  then  the  Dunkirk,  ?K  line  of  battle  ship, 
which  they  saw  launched,  an  hour  after  which  a 
new  sloop  of  war  went  off  the  stocks  in  high  style, 
when  their  Royal  Highnesses  retired  to  the  Caroline 


160  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1755. 

yacht,  where  an  elegant  repast  was  provided ;  the 
whole  party  returning  to  town  in  the  evening. 

1755. 

In  the  ensuing  year,  1755,  it  is  said  that  there 
was  some  design  on  the  part  of  the  King  to  find  a 
consort  for  the  young  Prince  at  this  period,  with 
which  intention  he  invited  two  princesses  of 
Brunswick,  nieces  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  to  meet 
him  at  Hanover,  but  no  active  steps  were  then 
taken. 

The  disputes  between  the  Princess  Dowager 
and  several  branches  of  the  Royal  Family,  began 
also  at  this  period  to  take  a  decided  turn.  Horace 
Walpole  says,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Montague — "  On 
Thursday  begins  our  warfare,  and  if  we  may  be- 
lieve signs  and  tokens,  our  winter  will  be  warlike  ; 
I  mean  at  home  :  I  have  not  much  faith  in  the 
invasion.  Her  Royal  Highness,  and  his  Royal 
Highness,  [the  Duke  of  Cumberland]  are  likely 
to  come  to  an  open  rupture."  Her  Highness  did 
not  neglect  making  friends  amongst  the  literati ; 
in  particular,  she  gave  to  Home  100/.  per  annum. 

1756. 

On  the  Prince  coming  of  age,  or  eighteen,  the 
King  displayed  considerable  generosity,  ordering 
him  a  separate  allowance  of  40,000/.  per  annum 
out  of  the  civil  list,   independent  of  the  sum  for- 


1756.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  1G1 

merly  granted  to  the  Princess.  The  first  notifi- 
cation of  this  allowance  from  the  King  to  the 
Prince  was  accompanied  by  the  offer,  as  Lord 
Melcombe  states,  of  apartments  both  at  Kensing- 
ton and  St.  James's.  That  offer,  however,  was 
declined  by  his  Royal  Highness,  on  account  of 
the  mortification  it  would  be  to  his  mother. 

This  was  certainly  a  pointed  expression  on  his 
part ;  for  he  waanot  then  actually  living  with  the 
Princess,  as  Doddington  adds,  "  either  in  town 
or  country." 

The  youthful  heir  apparent  was  already  led  into 
the  toils  of  party,  in  opposition  to  the  ministry  of 
the  first  Lord  Holland,  or  the  Newcastle  cabinet ; 
for  the  meetings  of  the  Opposition  took  place  al- 
most daily  at  Leicester-house,  where  his  levees 
were  crowded,  Mr.  Pitt,  Lord  Temple,  and  the 
Grenvilles  being  frequently  seen  there.  This  ex- 
cited great  alarm  in  the  breasts  of  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle,  and  Chancellor  Hardwicke,  and  "  their 
wish  was  now  to  get  possession  of  the  Prince." 
In  furtherance  of  this  design,  they  persuaded  the 
King  to  send  a  message  to  Leicester-house,  offer- 
ing the  Prince  a  suite  of  apartments  at  St.  James's 
and  another  at  Kensington  Palace ;  a  message 
which  excited  the  greatest  consternation  in  the 
Bute  partizans,  and  it  was  whispered  that  even 
the  Bute  interest  would  have  yielded,  had  not 
some  others  prevented  it.     Those  who  wish  to 

VOL.   I.  m 


162  GEORGE    THE    TIITRD,  175G. 

enter  deeper  into  the  intrigue  may  consult  the  first 
volume  of  the  anecdotes  of  the  Earl  of  Chatham, 
where  it  is  said  in  a  note,  that  "  a  female  Saxe- 
Gotha  was  in  the  contemplation  of  her  in  whom  a 
desire  of  such  affinity  was  not  only  probable  but 
interesting ;  but  the  proposal  was  instantly  repro- 
bated by  a  higher  person,  who,  after  expressing 
himself  in  terms  of  asperity,  said  he  knew  enough 
of  that  family  already  "—hut  such  a  reflection  on 
the  late  Queen  Caroline  is  not  very  probable. 

Some  idea  of  the  rising  promise  of  the  youthful 
heir  to  monarchy,  may  be  drawn  from  the  follow- 
ing letter  which  was  really  addressed  to  his 
Royal  Highness  at  this  period,  by  a  gentleman 
of  high  literary  attainments  and  distinguished 
loyalty  :— 

"  May  it  please  your  Royal  Highness, 
"  The  unexpected  sight  of  your  Royal  Highness 
and  Prince  Edward,  on  Thursday  last,  crossing 
the  road  near  Richmond,  afforded  me  an  infinite 
pleasure,  easier  to  be  conceived  than  expressed, 
when  I  saw  in  your  Royal  Highnesses  a  graceful 
becoming  dignity,  with  free,  open,  and  conde- 
scending countenances,  that  bespoke  sedate, 
humane,  and  manly  dispositions,  glowing  with 
youthful  ardour  for  the  general  welfare  of  man- 
kind, most  worthy  of  your  high  births. 

"  This  pleasing  prospect  caused  me  to  reflect ; 


175G.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  163 

— these  are  royal  Princes — the  one  next  in  suc- 
cession to  the  greatest  King  that  ever  filled  the 
throne,  (the  other  in  all  probability  will,  in  time, 
be  one  of  its  chiefest  supporters,)  a  King  whom 
the  people  adore,  and  who  has  justly  merited  the 
additional  title,  after  Defender  of  the  Faith,  of  the 
well -beloved,  and  the  honest.  It  therefore  must  be 
extremely  grateful — the  further  view  of  conveying 
to  latest  posterity  the  blessings  we  now  enjoy, 
under  the  government  of  our  present  most  gra- 
cious' sovereign. 

"  Thus  delighted — I  returned  thanks  to  Al- 
mighty God  for  bestowing  so  remarkable  a  bless- 
ing on  these  kingdoms,  as  that  of  preferring  to 
the  crown  the  descendants  of  that  most  illustrious 
and  amiable  Princess  Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of 
Britain,  late  Queen  of  Bohemia,  who  was  early 
the  darling  of  the  English  nation,  and  whose  royal 
house  has,  from  its  first  intermarriage,  been  re- 
vered and  respected  by  all  good  Englishmen. 

"  History  relates  many  instances  of  young 
Princes  so  far  condescending  as  to  speak  even  to 
the  meanest  of  their  royal  father's  subjects  ;  which 
I  am  assured  your  Highnesses  have  likewise  done 
with  great  humanity  and  complacency.  From 
this  example,  I  flatter  myself  I  shall,  agreeably  to 
your  innate  princely  goodness,  obtain  a  pardon 
for  presuming  to  pay  my  homage  in  this  way,  and 
also  for  my  presumption  in  laying  before  you,  a 

m  2 


164  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1757-8. 

little   poetical  description  of  my  .small  villa   at 
Richmond. 

"  Should  I  ever  have  the  happiness  of  the  pre- 
sence of  both  your  Royal  Highnesses  to  see  my 
little  retreat,  the  height  of  my  ambition  will  be 
satisfied;  especially  as  it  will  honour  me  with  an 
opportunity  of  professing  in  person  how  much  I 
am,  with  the  most  awful  and  respectful  submis- 
sion, 

"  May  it  please  your  Royal  Highness, 

&C.  &c.  &c." 

1757—1758. 

A  most  extraordinary  instance  of  royal  conde- 
scension to  the  opinion  of  the  City  of  London, 
was  manifested  by  his  Majesty  in  the  month  of 
Nov.  1757,  shortly  after  the  well-known  failure  of 
the  expedition  to  the  coast  of  France,  when  on  the 
5th  of  that  month,  in  a  common  council  at  Guild- 
hall, a  motion  was  made  to  address  the  King  on 
that  miscarriage  ;  but  after  some  debate  the  Lord 
Mayor  was  asked  by  a  member  of  the  court,  if 
any  information  had  been  given  to  his  Lordship 
on  an  inquiry  being  intended  to  be  made  ;  when 
he  replied  that  on  Monday  evening,  the  31st  of 
October,  William  Blair,  Esq.  one  of  the  clerks  of 
his  Majesty's  most  honourable  privy  council, 
came  to  the  Mansion-house,  and  acquainted  him, 
that  his  Majesty  had  given  proper  directions  for 


1759.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.  1G5 

an  inquiry  to  be  forthwith  made  into  the  behaviour 
of  the  commanding-  officers  of  that  expedition,  or 
to  that  effect ;  upon  which  the  motion  was  instantly 
withdrawn.  It  appeared  finally  that  no  blame  at- 
tached to  Hawke :  but  public  censure  fell  heavily 
upon  the  General,  Sir  John  Mordaunt.  Perhaps 
a  portion  of  the  royal  condescension  may  be  at- 
tributed to  the  late  Earl  of  Chatham,  then  in 
power  as  Secretary  of  State. 

1759. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  now  resided  at  Saville- 
house,  next  to  Leicester-house,  still  his  mother's 
residence;  when  on  the  4th  of  June  1759,  (N.  S.) 
there  was  a  most  brilliant  court,  in  compliment 
to  his  birth-day.  In  the  evening  there  was  a 
general  illumination,  with  the  exception  of  the 
house  of  a  quaker,  then  an  eminent  woollen 
draper  in  Cornhill,  at  which  the  mob  were  so 
much  irritated  that  they  pulled  up  the  pavement 
and  split  the  window-shutters  of  his  shop  with 
large  stones,  whilst  the  smaller  ones  were  flung 
up  as  high  as  the  third  story,  the  windows  of 
which  were  shattered  to  pieces,  as  well  indeed 
as  the  rest  of  the  house  in  front. 

The  same  day  the  new  bridge  at  Kew  was 
opened,  when  upwards  of  3000  foot  passengers 
went  over,  and  100  workmen  dined  in  a  place 
appointed  for  that  purpose  ;  in  the  evening  there 


166  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1759. 

were  a  bonfire  and  illuminations  at  Kew-green ; 
and  the  healths  of  his  Majesty,  and  their  Royal 
Highnesses  were  drank. 

It  is  a  curious  circumstance  that  although  in 
1756  the  Prince  of  Wales  had  attained  the  year 
of  royal  majority,  yet  it  was  not  until  the  usual 
year  of  legal  majority  that  he  took  his  seat  in  the 
House  of  Peers,  as  Duke  of  Cornwall.* 

*  We  cannot  better  mark  the  public  feeling  at  that  aus- 
picious moment  than  by  the  following  addresses  from  the  City 
of  London. 

Kensington,  June  S.  This  day  the  Right  Honourable  the 
Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commons,  of  the  City  of  London, 
in  Common-council  assembled,  waited  on  his  Majesty,  and 
being  introduced  to  his  Majesty  by  the  Right  Honourable  the 
Earl  of  Essex,  one  of  the  Lords  of  his  Majesty's  bed-chamber, 
Sir  William  Moreton,  Knt.  the  Recorder,  made  their  compli- 
ments in  the  following  address  : 

"  To  the  King's  most  Excellent  Majesty. 

The  humble  address  of  the  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Com- 
mons, of  the  City  of  London,  in  Common-council  assembled. 

"  May  it  please  your  Majesty, 

"  We  your  Majesty's  most  dutiful  and  loyal  subjects,  the 
Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commons,  of  the  City  of  London, 
in  Common-council  assembled,  humbly  beg  leave  to  congratu- 
late your  Majesty  on  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  your  royal 
grandson  the  Prince  of  Wales,  that  great  object  of  your 
Majesty's  paternal  care  and  solicitude,  arrive  at  his  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  mature  in  all  the  accomplishments  that  can 
add  lustre  to  his  high  dignity,  or  command  the  love  and  ve- 
neration of  mankind. 


1759.  IMS    COURT,     AN])     FAMILY.  1G7 

Previous  to  this  he  had  seen  a  little,  and  but  a 
little,  of  the  kingdoms  he  was  shortly  to  govern,  in 
a  trip  to  Scotland  along  with  Lord  Bute.  Dressed 
as  private  gentlemen,  and  attended  only  by  two 
servants,  they  reached  Edinburgh  without  being 
discovered.  Here,  while  they  alighted  to  change 
horses,  a  cavalry  officer  passed  by  the  inn,  and 
easily  traced  the  royal  features  through  all  the 

"  Long  may  his  Royal  Highness  enjoy  the  benefit  of  your 
Majesty's  salutary  precepts  and  example,  and  continue  to 
make  your  Majesty  the  amplest  returns  of  filial  duty  and 
respect.  May  his  Royal  Highness  live  to  emulate  the  virtues 
that  have  endeared  your  Majesty's  sacred  person  and  govern- 
ment to  a  free  people  ;  and  may  there  never  be  wanting  one 
of  your  Majesty's  illustrious  race  to  perpetuate  the  blessings 
we  derive  from  your  auspicious  reign. 

"  Permit  us,  most  gracious  Sovereign,  to  embrace  this  op- 
portunity of  humbly  assuring  your  Majesty,  that  no  hostile 
threats  can  intimidate  a  people  animated  by  the  love  of  liberty, 
and  inspired  with  a  sense  of  duty  and  affection  to  your  Majesty  ; 
wdio,  confiding  in  the  Divine  Providence,  and  the  experienced 
wisdom  and  vigour  of  your  Majesty's  councils,  are  resolved  to 
employ  their  utmost  efforts  towards  enabling  your  Majesty  to 
repel  the  insults,  and  defeat  the  attempts,  of  the  ancient  ene- 
mies of  your  Majesty's  crown  and  kingdoms." 

To  which  address  his  Majesty  was  pleased   to  return  this 
most  gracious  answer  : 

"  The  cordial  expressions  of  your  constant  attachment  to 
my  person  and  family  are  very  agreeable  to  me  ;  and  I  return 
you  my  hearty  thanks  for  this  fresh  mark  of  your  zeal  and 
affection. 


1G8  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1759. 

disguise  which  covered  them.  He  immediately 
took  horse,  and  followed  the  travellers  at  a  dis- 
tance. Eager  to  unriddle  some  important  mys- 
tery which  he  supposed  to  be  the  occasion  of  this 
journey,  he  followed  the  travellers  from  Edinburgh 
to  Glasgow,  from  thence  to  the  west  of  Scotland, 

"  I  have  the  firmest  confidence  in  the  fidelity  and  spirit  of 
my  people,  and  I  trust  I  shall  be  well  enabled,  under  the  Divine 
Providence,  to  defeat  and  frustrate  the  most  daring  attempts  of 
the  ancient  enemy  of  my  crown." 

Saville-house,  June  9.  This  day  the  Right  Honourable  the 
Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commons,  of  the  City  of  London, 
in  Common-council  assembled,  waited  on  his  Royal  Highness 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  being  introduced  by  the  Right  Ho- 
nourable Lord  Robert  Bertie,  one  of  the  Lords  of  his  Royal 
Highness's  bed-chamber,  Sir  William  Moreton,  the  Recorder, 
made  their  compliments  in  the  following  speech: 

"  To  his  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
"  May  it  please  your  Royal  Highness, 

"  Your  Royal  Highness  having  happily  attained  your  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  the  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commons, 
of  the  City  of  London,  in  Common-council  assembled,  humbly 
beg  leave  to  compliment  your  Royal  Highness  upon  an  event 
so  pleasing  to  the  King,  and  so  very  interesting  to  his  Majesty's 
faithful  subjects. 

"  But  permit  us,  Sir,  at  the  same  time,  without  offending  the 
modesty  which  so  eminently  distinguishes  and  adorns  your 
character,  to  express  the  yet  greater  pleasure  we  enjoy  in  be- 
holding your  Royal  Highness  possessed  of  every  virtue  and 
accomplishment  which  we  had  reason  to  presage  from  the 
excellence  of  your  genius,  and  the  goodness  of  your  dis- 
position. 


1759.  HIS    COULIT,     AND    FAMILY.  1C9 

and  lastly  to  the  Isle  of  Bute.  After  this  he  traced 
them  by  another  route  back  to  the  inn  where  he 
first  discovered  them  at  Edinburgh ;  and,  having 
so  far  gratified  his  curiosity,  discontinued  his  ob- 
servations. 

"  When  we  consider  your  Royal  Highness's  exemplary  piety, 
your  dutiful  deportment  towards  the  King,  your  respectful  af- 
fection for  your  august  mother,  your  early  knowledge  of  the 
constitution  and  true  interests  of  these  kingdoms,  and  your  soli- 
citude for  the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  the  people,  we  form 
the  most  agreeable  prospects,  and  reflect  with  gratitude  upon 
the  wisdom  and  attention  that  have  been  employed  to  cultivate 
these  noble  sentiments  in  your  princely  breast. 

"  May  they  more  and  more  endear  your  Royal  Highness  to 
his  Majesty,  and  hereafter  be  exerted  in  a  higher  sphere  in 
preserving  the  religious  and  civil  rights,  happily  intrusted  to 
the  protection  of  his  Majesty's  illustrious  house." 

To  which  his  Royal  Highness  was  pleased  to  return  the  fol- 
lowing answer : 

"  My  Lord,  and  Gentlemen, 

"  I  return  you  my  hearty  thanks  for  this  mark  of  your  duty 
to  the  King,  and  attention  to  me.  You  may  always  depend 
upon  my  warmest  wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  this  great  city, 
and  for  whatever  can  in  the  least  promote  the  trade  and  manu- 
factures of  my  native  country." 

They  all  had  the  honour  to  kiss  his  Royal  Highness's  hand. 

Leicester-house,  June  9.  This  day  the  Right  Honourable 
the  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commons,  of  the  City  of  Lon- 
don, in  Common-council  assembled,  waited  on  her  Royal  High- 
ness the  Princess  Dowager  of  Wales,  and  being  introduced  by 
Sir  William  Irby,  Bart.  Chamberlain  to  her  Royal  Highness, 
Sir  William  Moreton,  the  Recorder,  made  their  compliments  in 
the  following  speech  : 


V 


170  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1759. 

This  was  the  great  and  glorious  year  in  which 
the  vauntings  of  French  ambition  met  appropriate 
checks  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  particularly  in 
their  threatened  invasion,  which  however  was 
laughed  at  by  all  rational  persons,  and  on  which 
a  paper  of  that  day  observed,  "  We  hear  there 

"  To  her  Royal  Highness  the  Princess  Dowager  of  Wales. 
"  May  it  please  your  Royal  Highness, 

"  The  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commons,  of  the  City  of 
London,  in  Common-council  assembled,  wanned  with  the  most 
dutiful  affection  for  his  Majesty,  and  with  gratitude  to  your 
Royal  Highness  for  the  early  and  repeated  marks  of  your  re- 
gard, humbly  beg  leave  to  compliment  your  Royal  Highness 
upon  the  happiness  of  seeing  your  illustrious  Son  the  Prince  of 
Wales  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  endowed  with 
every  noble  quality  which  maternal  fondness  could  hope,  or  a 
free  people  wish  in  the  heir  apparent  to  the  crown. 

"  These,  Madam,  are  the  fruits,  these  the  glorious  reward  of 
your  Royal  Highness's  pious  instructions  and  example. 

"  By  having  thus  laid  the  foundation  of  our  future  happiness 
and  prosperity,  your  Royal  Highness  has  secured  the  blessings 
of  the  present  age,  and  a  name  of  distinguished  honour  in  the 
future  annals  of  Great  Britain." 

To  which  her  Royal  Highness  was  pleased  to  return  the 
following  answer  : 

"  My  Lord  and  Gentlemen, 
"  I  return  you  many  thanks   for  your  most  obliging  compli- 
ment :  my  utmost  ambition  has  ever  been  to  see  my  son  an- 
swer the   expectation  of  his  country ;    if  I   have  succeeded  in 
that,  all  my  wishes  are  completed/' 

They  all  had  the  honour  to  kiss  her  Royal  Highness's  hand. 


1759.  IMS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  171 

have  been  insurrections  in  several  parts  of  France 
by  the  common  people,  who  are  driven  to  the 
greatest  extremities ;  and  that,  to  appease  them, 
the  people  in  power  give  out,  that  they  will,  at 
all  events,  invade  Great  Britain  in  a  very  short 
time,  and  raise  up  the  present  drooping  glory  of 
the  Grand  Monarque  V' 

*  The  distress  of  the  French  at  this  moment  may  be  drawn 
from  the  following 

Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Paris,  November  12. 

"  The  plate  which  the  king  hath  sent  to  the  mint  amounts 
to  the  sum  of  1,800,000  livres;  the  Dauphiness  has  sent  to  the 
mint  even  her  toilette;  the  king  and  the  princes  of  the  blood 
have  kept  only  plates  and  spoons  for  ragouts.  In  four-and- 
tvventy  hours  there  was  carried  to  the  mint  to  the  amount  of 
five  millions.  It  is  thought  Paris  alone  will  furnish  forty  mil- 
lions." 

And  also  by  an  extract  from  our  own  squadron  off  Brest : 
"  We  have  been  some  time  under  the  command  of  the  Hon. 
Capt.  Hervey,  who  has  the  Monmouth;  and  we  are  now  six  at 
anchor  in  sight,  of  the  French  fleet  at  Brest ;  and  though  it  is  a 
most  troublesome  and  dangerous  station,  we  bear  those  incon- 
veniencies  with  pleasure.  Three  days  ago  the  commodore 
went  with  his  ship  close  to  the  enemy,  leaving  us  all  in  a  line  of 
battle  without  him.  He  brought  out  two  very  large  vessels  that 
lay  under  a  fort,  laden  with  stones  of  six  and  seven  hundred 
weight  each,  ready  cut  for  the  repairing  their  basin.  The 
next  night  he  manned  those  vessels,  and  with  the  boats  of  his 
squadron  landed  at  day-light  on  an  island,  and  in  sight  of  their 
fleet  brought  off  all  the  cattle  upon  it.  Yesterday  he  laid  the 
great  island  of  Molines  under  contribution  for  cattle  and  greens, 
which  we  got  off     Our  captain  tells  me,  that  the  commodore 


172  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1759. 

Though  it  is  no  part  of  our  plan  to  write  a  his- 
tory of  the  period,  we  cannot  pass  over  a  curious 
fact  respecting  Marshal  Belleisle,  who  had  formed 

sent  the  governor  word,  that  he  was  sorry  if  what  he  had  done 
had  distressed  the  inhabitants;  but  he  meant  it  only  as  an  in- 
sult to  the  French  fleet,  and  to  shew  them,  and  all  Europe,  that 
they  could  not  protect  their  own  people  in  their  sight,  much 
less  dare  to  attempt  the  invasion  of  England.  This  has  put  our 
people  in  great  spirits,  it  being  five  or  six  days  fresh  provisions 
for  all  the  ships  crews  here,  besides  much  milk  for  the  men 
who  have  the  scurvy,  which  we  were  much  in  want  of,  as  our 
people  begin  to  fall  down  with  that  distemper." 

This  period  also  may  b^here  illustrated  by  the  royal  speech 
at  the  opening  of  parliament  at  the  close  of  the  year. 
"  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen, 

"  In  pursuance  of  the  authority  given  to  us,  by  his  Majesty's 
commission,  under  the  Great  Seal,  amongst  other  things,  to  de- 
clare the  cause  of  his  holding  this  parliament,  his  Majesty  has 
been  graciously  pleased  to  direct  us  to  assure  you,  that  he 
esteems  himself  particularly  happy  in  being  able  to  call  you 
together,  in  a  situation  of  affairs  so  glorious  and  advantageous 
to  his  crown  and  kingdoms. 

"  His  Majesty  sees,  and  devoutly  adores  the  hand  of  Provi- 
dence, in  the  many  signal  successes,  both  by  sea  and  land,  with 
which  his  arms  have  been  blessed,  in  the  course  of  the  last 
summer  ;  and  at  the  same  time  his  Majesty  reflects  with  much 
satisfaction  on  the  confidence  which  you  placed  in  him,  by 
making  such  ample  provision,  and  entrusting  him  with  such 
extensive  powers,  for  carrying  on  a  war,  which  the  defence  of 
our  invaluable  rights  and  possessions,  and  the  preservation  of 
the  navigation  and  commerce  of  his  Majesty's  people,  had 
made  just  and  necessary. 

"  We  have  it  also  in  command  from  his  Majesty  to  acquaint 


1759.        HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.        173 

a  project  of  still  making-  the  Pretender  useful  in 
producing-  a  division  of  the  British  forces.  The 
Duke  de  Choiseul  was  employed  to  arrange  mat- 

you,  that  the  happy  progress  of  our  successes,  from  the  taking 
of  Goree,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  to  the  conquest  of  so  many 
important  places  in  America,  with  the  defeat  of  the  French 
army  in  Canada,  and  the  reduction  of  their  capital  city  of 
'Quebec,  effected  with  so  much  honour  to  the  courage  and  con- 
duct of  his  Majesty's  officers  both  at  sea  and  land,  and  with 
so  great  lustre  to  his  intrepid  forces ;  together  with  the  impor- 
tant success  obtained  by  his  Majesty's  fleet  off  Cape  Lagos, 
and  the  effectual  blocking-up,  for  so  many  months,  the  principal 
part  of  the  navy  of  France  in  their  own  ports — are  events 
which  must  have  filled  the  hearts  of  all  his  Majesty's  faithful 
subjects,  as  well  as  his  own,  with  the  sincerest  joy :  and,  his 
Majesty  trusts,  will  convince  you,  that  there  has.  been  no  want 
of  vigilance,  or  vigour,  on  his  part,  in  exerting  those  means 
which  you  with  so  much  prudence  and  public-spirited  zeal 
put  into  his  Majesty's  hands. 

"■  That  our  advantages  have  extended  farther  :  and  the  Divine 
blessing  has  favoured  us  in  the  East-Indies,  where  the  danger- 
ous designs  of  his  Majesty's  enemies  have  miscarried  ;  and  that 
valuable  branch  of  our  trade  has  received  great  benefit  and 
protection. 

"That  the  memorable  victory  gained  over  the  French,  near 
Minden,  has  long  made  a  deep  impression  on  the  minds  of  his 
Majesty's  people.  And  that  if  the  crisis  in  which  that  battle 
was  fought,  the  superior  numbers  of  the  enemy,  and  the  great 
and  able  conduct  of  his  Majesty's  General,  Prince  Ferdinand  of 
Brunswick,  are  considered,  that  action  must  be  the  subject  of 
lasting  admiration  and  thankfulness.  That,  if  any  thing  could 
fill  the  breasts  of  his  Majesty's  good  subjects  with  still  farther 
degrees  of  exultation,  it    is  the   distinguished   and   unbroken 


174  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1759 

ters  with  the  Pretender,  although  he  did  not  ap- 
prove of  the  plan.  He  saw  that  unfortunate 
Prince,  however,  but  it  was  late  at  night,  when 

valour  of  his  Majesty's  troops,  owned  and  applauded  by  those 
whom  they  overcame.  The  glory  they  have  gained  is  not 
merely  their  own ;  but,  in  a  national  view,  is  one  of  the  most 
important  circumstances  of  our  success,  as  it  must  be  a  striking 
admonition  to  our  enemies,  with  whom  they  have  to  contend. 

"That  his  Majesty's  good  brother  and  ally  the  King  of  Prussia, 
attacked  and  surrounded  by  so  many  considerable  powers,  has 
by  his  magnanimity,  and  abilities,  and  the  bravery  of  his 
troops,  been  able,  in  a  surprising  manner,  to  prevent  the  mis- 
chiefs concerted,  with  such  united  force,  against  him. 

"His  Majesty  has  farther  commanded  us  to  observe  to  you, 
that  as  his  Majesty  entered  into  this  war  not  from  views  of  ambi- 
tion, so  he  does  not  wish  to  continue  it  from  motives  of  resent- 
ment. The  desire  of  his  Majesty's  heart  is,  to  see  a  stop  put  to 
the  effusion  of  Christian  blood,  whenever  such  terms  of  peace 
can  be  established,  as  shall  be  just  and  honourable  for  his 
Majesty  and  his  allies;  and  by  procuring  such  advantages  as, 
from  the  successes  of  his  Majesty's  arms,  may,  in  reason  and 
equity,  be  expected  shall  bring  along  with  them  full  security 
for  the  future:  his  Majesty  will  rejoice  to  see  the  repose  of 
Europe  restored  on  such  solid  and  durable  foundations,  and 
his  faithful  subjects,  to  whose  liberal  support  and  unshaken 
firmness  his  Majesty  owes  so  much,  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  blessings  of  peace  and  tranquillity  :  but  in  order  to  this 
great  and  desirable  end,  his  Majesty  is  confident  you  will  agree 
with  him,  that  it  is  necessary  to  make  ample  provision  for  car- 
rying on  the  war,  in  all  parts,  with  the  utmost  vigour. 
"Gentlemen  of  the  House  of  Commons, 

"We  are  commanded  by  his  Majesty  to  assure  you,  that  the 
great  supplies  which  were  given   the  last  session,  have    been 


1759.  ins  court,  and  family.  175 

the  latter,  who  had  just  come  from  a  grand  sup- 
per, was  so  intoxicated  that  he  was  almost  speech- 
less, and  little  able  to  understand  the  purport  of 

faithfully  employed  for  the  purposes  for  which  they  were 
granted  ;  but  the  uncommon  extent  of  this  war,  and  the  vari- 
ous services  necessary  to  be  provided  for,  in  order  to  secure 
success  to  his  Majesty's  measures,  have  unavoidably  occasioned 
extraordinary  expenses,  an  account  of  which  will  be  laid  be- 
fore you. 

"  His  Majesty  has  also  ordered  the  proper  estimates  for  the 
service  of  the  ensuing  year  to  be  prepared  and  laid  before 
you  ;  and  his  Majesty  desires  you  to  grant  him  such  supplies, 
as  shall  be  necessary  to  sustain  and  press,  with  effect,  all  our 
extensive  operations  against  the  enemy  ;  and  at  the  same  time, 
by  the  blessing  of  God,  to  repel  and  frustrate  their  daring  de- 
signs against  his  Majesty's  kingdoms. 
"  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen, 

"  His  Majesty  has,  in  the  last  place,  been  graciously  pleased 
to  command  us  to  repeat  to  you,  the  assurances  of  the  high 
satisfaction  his  Majesty  takes  in  that  union  and  good  harmony, 
which  is  so  conspicuous  amongst  his  faithful  subjects,  happy 
in  seeing  it  continued  and  confirmed ;  and  to  observe  to  you, 
that  experience  has  shewn  how  much  we  all  owe  to  it ;  and 
that  nothing  else  can  effectually  secure  the  true  happiness  of 
his  people." 

Let  it  be  remembered  here,  that  the  joys  of  the  monarch 
were  softened  by  the  sorrows  of  a  father  for  the  loss  of  an  af- 
fectionate daughter.  The  Princess  was  of  a  genius  and  disposi- 
tion equally  to  be  admired  and  loved;  formed  to  be  the  delight 
and  honour  of  a  court;  possessed  of  an  uncommon  wit,  tem- 
pered with  judgment,  and  restrained  by  modesty  ;  for  ever 
cheerful,  and  the  cause  of  cheerfulness  ;  excellent  in  all  female 


176  GEORGE     THE    THIRD,  1759 

the  mission.  His  first  demand  was  to  be  sent  to 
London  with  an  army  ;  but  Belleisle's  plan  was  to 
send  him  to  try  his  fortune  in  America,  which  he 
refused.  The  design,  of  course,  failed  ;  but  it  is 
not  the  less  curious  as  an  historical  fact :  to  which 
we  can  add,  on  the  authority  of  the  abbe'  Fabroni, 
rector  of  the  university  of  Paris,  that,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  American  war,  letters  were  ac- 
tually sent  from  the  Bostonians  to  the  Pretender, 
inviting  him  to  come  and  put  himself  at  their 
head ! 

Though  the  Princess  Dowager  was  not  in  favour 
at  Court,  yet  her  birth-day  was  still  kept  at  St. 
James's  on  the  6th  December.     On  this  occasion 

accomplishments,  and  eminent  particularly  for  her  skill  and 
taste  in  music ;  but  more  than  all  distinguished  by  her  good- 
ness. Her  nearest  relations  lost  a  dear  and  amiable  companion, 
her  Royal  Parent  an  obedient  child,  and  Britain  a  supreme 
blessing.  Applause  which  follows  greatness  often  exceeds  its 
subject;  here  it  is  less  than  truth. 

As  her  will  is  remarkable  for  its  brevity  and  simplicity,  it 
may  be  properly  here  inserted. 

"I  leave  my  sister  Amelia  all  I  have  in  possession,  and  make 
her  my  sole  executrix,  excepting  these  few  legacies:  To  my 
dear  sister  Anne,  an  enamelled  case,  and  two  bottles  of  the  same 
sort.  To  my  dear  sister  Mary,  my  emerald  set  with  diamonds, 
and  the  brilliant  drops  hanging  to  it,  and  my  ruby  ring  with 
the  Queen's  hair.  To  my  dear  sister  Louisa,  my  diamond  ear- 
rings, and  all  my  rings.  To  my  brother  William,  my  ena- 
melled watch.     This  is  my  last  will,  writ  with  my  own  hand. 

"  Carolina." 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  177 

the  Prince  of  Wales  opened  the  ball  with  the 
Princess  Augusta,  the  good  old  King  staying  in 
the  ball-room  till  near  midnight. 

1760. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  was  now  brought  forward 
by  his  royal  grandfather  in  various  acts  of  state 
and  of  court  arrangements.  On  the  4th  of  Feb- 
ruary  1760  he  took  a  more  prominent  part  in  par- 
liament than  he  had  hitherto  done,  being  named 
in  the  commission  for  giving  the  royal  assent  to 
several  bills ;  as  detailed  in  the  following  terms 
by  the  journals  of  that  day  : — 

"  The  Lords  being  met,  a  message  was  sent  to 
the  honourable  House  of  Commons,  desiring  their 
immediate  attendance  ;  and  the  Commons  being 
come,  a  commission,  empowering  their  Royal 
Highnesses  the  Prince  and  the  Duke,  and  several 
Lords,  to  notify  the  royal  assent  to  a  bill,  was 
read,  and  the  royal  assent  given  to 

"  An  act  for  granting  to  his  Majesty  several 
duties  upon  malt,  &c.  &c. 

"  A  chapter  of  the  most  noble  Order  of  the 
Garter  was  held  in  the  council  chamber  at  St. 
James's.  Present,  The  Sovereign,  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  his  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  Cumber- 
land, his  Royal  Highness  Prince  Edward,  the 
Duke  of  Newcastle,  the  Duke  of  Kingston,  the 
Duke  of  Leeds,  Earl  Granville,  the  Earl  of  Lin- 

VOL.  I.  n 


178  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 

coin,  the  Earl  of  Cardigan,  the  Duke  of  Devon- 
shire, the  Earl  of  Northumberland,  and  Earl 
Waldegrave  ;  when  Charles  Marquis  of  Rocking- 
ham, and  Richard  Earl  Temple,  were  knighted, 
and  elected  companions  of  the  said  most  noble 
Order ;  and  afterwards  invested  with  the  Garter, 
Ribbon,  and  George,  with  the  accustomed  solem- 
nities." 

The  interest  which  the  nation  feels,  in  the  ob- 
ject of  their  regret,  gives  a  value  to  these  little 
notices ;  to  which  we  add  the  pleasing  fact,  that 
the  youthful  heir  apparent,  with  great  delicacy 
and  propriety,  did  not  attend  in  his  place  in 
parliament  during  the  trial  of  the  unhappy  Lord 
Ferrers  in  April ;  whilst  his  brother,  the  Duke  of 
York,  declined  taking  his  seat  until  the  trial  was 
over,  that  he  might  not  be  obliged  to  vote  on  so 
important  a  question  as  the  life  of  a  fellow-crea- 
ture. 

Though  mixing  thus  at  times  in  public  life, 
much  of  the  Prince's  leisure  was  spent  in  rural 
retirement  at  Kew,  where  the  Princess  Dowager 
commenced  in  this  year  a  collection  of  exotic 
plants,  the  precursor  of  the  present  Royal  Botani- 
cal Garden,  on  a  scale  of  liberal  munificence  ;  be- 
sides continuing  to  erect,  under  the  superintend- 
ence of  Sir  William  Chambers,  the  various  orna- 
mental buildings  in  the  gardens,  originally  planned 
by  the  deceased  Prince. 


1760.      HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         179 

A  new  era  was  now  approaching,  in  the  acces- 
sion of  a  new  monarch  ;  previous  to  which,  on  the 
22d  of  May,  the  session  of  Parliament  being  closed, 
we  refer  to  the  annexed  note  *  for  a  view  of  the 


*  "  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen, 

"  We  have  received  the  King's  commands  to  put  an  end  to 
this  session  of  Parliament;  and,  upon  this  occasion,  to  assure 
you,  that  his  Majesty  looks  back  with  entire  satisfaction  on 
your  proceedings  during  the  course  of  it.  The  duty  and  affec- 
tion which  you  have  expressed  for  his  person  and  government, 
and  the  zeal  and  unanimity  which  you  have  shewn  in  main- 
taining the  true  interest  of  your  country,  can  only  be  equalled 
by  what  his  Majesty  has  formerly  experienced  from  this  Par- 
liament. 

"  His  Majesty  has  commanded  us  to  acquaint  you,  that  it 
would  have  given  him  the  most  sensible  pleasure  to  have  been 
able  to  communicate  to  you,  that  his  sincere  endeavours  to 
promote  a  general  pacification  had  met  with  more  suitable  re- 
turns before  this  time.  His  Majesty,  in  conjunction  with  his 
brother  and  ally  the  King  of  Prussia,  chose  to  give  their  ene- 
mies proofs  of  this  equitable  disposition,  in  the  midst  of  a  series 
of  glorious  victories  ;  an  opportunity  the  most  proper  to  do  it 
with  dignity,  and  to  manifest  to  all  Europe  the  purity  and 
moderation  of  his  views.  After  such  a  conduct,  his  Majesty 
has  the  comfort  to  reflect,  that  the  further  continuance  of  the 
calamities  of  war  cannot  be  imputed  to  him  or  his  allies;  and 
trusts  in  the  blessings  of  heaven,  upon  the  justice  of  his  arms, 
and  upon  those  ample  means  which  your  zeal  in  so  good  a 
cause  has  wisely  put  into  his  hands,  that  his  future  successes 
in  carrying  on  the  war  will  not  fall  short  of  the  past ;  and  that, 
in  the  event,  the  public  tranquillity  will  be  restored  on  solid 
and  durable  foundations. 

N  2 


180  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 

state  of  the  empire  at  that  period,  the  glories  of 
which  were  certainly  owing  to  the  genius  of  the 
immortal  Chatham,  whose  spirit  had  infused  energy 
into  every  department  of  the  state,  and  fully  jus- 
tified the  statements  of  the  royal  speech. 

On  the  25th  of  October  the  King  had  risen  at 
his  usual  time,  without  any  apparent  signs  of 
indisposition.  He  called  his  page,  drank  his 
chocolate,    and    inquired   about  the  wind,    as  if 

"We  are  further  commanded  to  acquaint  you,  that  his  Ma- 
jesty has  taken  the  most  effectual  care  to  augment  the  com- 
bined army  in  Germany;  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  keep  up 
such  a  force  at  home,  as  may  frustrate  any  attempts  of  the 
enemy  to  invade  these  kingdoms,  which  have  hitherto  ended 
only  in  their  own  confusion. 

"  The  royal  navy  was  never  in  a  more  flourishing  and  re- 
spectable condition;  and  the  signal  victory  obtained  last 
winter  over  the  French  fleet,  on  their  own  coasts,  as  it  has 
added  lustre  to  his  Majesty's  arms,  has  given  fresh  spirit  to  his 
maritime  forces,  and  reduced  the  naval  strength  of  France  to  a 
very  low  ebb. 

"  His  Majesty  has  disposed  his  squadrons  in  such  a  manner, 
as  may  best  conduce  to  the  annoyance  of  his  enemies ;  to  the 
defence  of  his  own  dominions,  both  in  Europe  and  America;  and 
to  the  preserving  and  pursuing  his  conquests,  as  well  as  to  the 
protection  of  the  trade  of  his  subjects,  which  he  has  extremely 
at  heart. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
"  Nothing  could  relieve  his  Majesty's  royal  mind,  under  the 
anxiety  which  he  feels  for  the  burdens  of  his  faithful  subjects, 
but    the    public-spirited    cheerfulness    with    which  you  have 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  181 

anxious  for  the  arrival  of  the  mails,  which  had 
been  detained  in  Holland  a  considerable  time. 
He  then  opened  his  window,  and  looked  out  for 
the  quarter  from  whence  the  wind  blew ;  and  see- 
ing it  a  fine  day,  said  he  would  walk  in  the  gar- 
den. This  passed  while  the  page  attended  him 
at  breakfast ;  but  on  leaving  the  room  he  heard 
a  deep  sigh,  immediately  followed  by  a  noise  like 
the  falling  of  a  billet  of  wood  from  the  fire  :  and, 
returning  hastily,  found  the  King  dropt  down  from 

granted  him  such  large  supplies,  and  his  conviction,  that 
they  are  necessary  for  the  security  and  essential  interests  of 
his  kingdoms.  The  King  has  enjoined  us  to  return  you  his 
hearty  thanks  for  them ;  and  to  assure  you  of  their  due  appli- 
cation to  the  purposes  for  which  they  have  been  given. 
"  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen, 

"  We  have  nothing  further  in  command  from  his  Majesty,  but 
to  recommend  to  you  the  continuance  and  improvement  of  that 
union  and  good  harmony,  which  he  has  observed  with  so  much 
pleasure,  and  from  which  he  has  derived  such  imporsant  effects. 
Make  it  your  study  to  promote  these  desirable  objects;  to  sup- 
port the  King's  government,  and  the  good  order  of  your  respec- 
tive counties ;  and  to  consult  your  own  real  happiness  and 
prosperity.  This  behaviour,  his  Majesty  graciously  assures  you, 
will  be  the  most  acceptable  demonstration  of  your  duty  to  him." 

After  which  the  Lord  Keeper  said, 
"  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen, 

"  It  is  his  Majesty's  royal  will  and  pleasure,  that  this  parlia- 
ment be  prorogued  to  Thursday  the  seventeenth  day  of  July 
next,  to  be  then  here  held  ;  and  this  parliament  is  accordingly 
prorogued  to  Thursday  the  seventeenth  day  of  July  next." 


182  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 

his  seat  as  if  in  attempting  to  ring  the  bell.  "  Call 
Amelia,"  said  the  King,  and  instantly  expired. 
He  was  raised  and  laid  upon  the  bed  :  the  Prin- 
cess was  called,  and  told  that  he  was  dead  upon 
her  entering  the  room ;  being  a  little  deaf,  how- 
ever, and  her  spirits  being  hurried  by  the  alarm, 
she  did  not  understand  what  was  said,  but  ran  up 
to  the  bed-side,  and  stooping  tenderly  over  her 
parent,  as  thinking  he  might  speak  to  her  in  a  low 
voice,  she  then  discovered  that  he  was  dead,  and 
was  instantly  thrown  into  an  alarming  agony  by 
the  shock  so  violent  and  so  unexpected. 

The  deceased  Monarch,  in  his  fall,  appeared  to 
have  received  a  small  hurt  upon  his  temple.  His 
physicians  and  surgeons  came  rapidly  to  his  assis- 
tance :  but  all  was  of  no  avail.  An  attempt  was 
made  to  bleed  him  :  but  the  blood  had  ceased  to 
circulate. 

The  immediate  cause  of  the  King's  death  is  said 
to  have  been  the  rupture  of  some  vessel  or  of  a 
membrane  in  the  heart,  to  frequent  palpitations 
of  which  organ  he  had  been  subject  for  several 
years*;  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  for  some  consi- 
derable time  previous  to  his  decease  he  had  been 

*  Epitaph  by  Beilby  Porteus,  M.  A.  Fellow  of  Christ  College, 
Cambridge,  afterwards  Bishop  of  London. 

This  marble  boasts  what  once  was  truly  great, 
The  friend  of  man,  the  father  of  his  state. 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  183 

in  the  habit  of  undressing  and  retiring  to  bed 
for  an  hour  or  two  every  afternoon.  It  appears 
however  that  this  was  rather  for  repose  than  sleep ; 
as  a  writer,  acquainted  with  the  private  history  of 
the  time,  observes  that  Lord  Chatham,  (then  Mr. 
Pitt,  and  secretary  of  state,)  who  was  sometimes 

To  check  ambition  in  its  wild  career; 

To  wipe  from  misery's  eye  the  starting  tear  ; 

By  well  plann'd  laws,  oppression  to  control ; 

By  kindest  deeds  to  captivate  the  soul; 

Stern  justice'  sword  to  guide  with  mercy's  hand, 

And  guard  the  freedom  of  a  glorious  land; 

These  were  his  acts — these  heaven  approved,  and  shed 

Unnumber'd  blessings  on  his  hoary  head. 

Forced  into  arms,  he  stretch'd  his  generous  sway 

Wide  as  the  sun  extends  his  genial  ray ; 

Yet  swa  (blest  privilege)  his  Britons  share 

The  smile  of  peace  amidst  the  rage  of  war ; 

Saw  to  his  shores  encreasing  commerce  roll, 

And  floods  of  wealth  flow  in  from  either  pole; 

Warm'd  by  his  influence,  by  his  bounty  fed, 

Saw  Science  raise  her  venerable  head  ; 

Whilst  at  his  feet  expiring  Faction  lay, 

No  contest  left  but  who  should  best  obey  ; 

Saw  in  his  offspring  all  himself  renew'd, 

The  same  fair  path  of  glory  still  pursued; 

Saw  to  young  George,  Augusta's  cares  impart 

Whate'er  could  raise  or  humanize  the  heart, 

Blend  all  his  grandsire's  virtues  with  his  own. 

And  form  their  mingled  radiance  for  the  throne. 

No  further  blessing  could  on  earth  be  given, 

The  next  degree  of  happiness — was  heaven  ! 


184  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G0. 

obliged  to  transact  business  with  his  Majesty  even 
on  those  occasions,  always  knelt  down  on  a 
cushion  by  the  bed-side ;  a  mark  of  respect  which 
tended  much  to  render  him  accentable  to  the 
Monarch. 

Of  the  many  anecdotes  of  the  good  old  King 
we  shall  here  select  a  few  of  the  most  pro- 
minent. 

Though  strongly  attached  to  etiquette,  yet  the 
good  Monarch  could  not  always  check  the  im- 
pulses of  his  heart  towards  the  humble  and  lowly. 
On  one  occasion,  a  decent  individual  happened  to 
spend  the  afternoon  with  one  of  the  royal  estab- 
lishment, who  lived  in  the  upper  story  of  St. 
James's  Palace,  and  retiring  in  the  evening,  un- 
luckily slipped  his  foot  after  his  friend's  door  was 
closed,  falling  down  a  whole  flight  of  steps,  when 
his  head,  striking  against  a  private  door,  burst  it 
open.  The  fall  completely  stunned  him  ;  but  on 
recovering,  he  found  himself  lying  on  the  floor 
of  a  small  apartment,  most  kindly  attended  by  a 
neat  little  old  gentleman,  who  was  carefully  wash- 
ing his  head  with  a  towel,  and  placing  pieces  of 
sticking-plaster  with  great  care  upon  one  or  two 
spots,  where  he  had  been  cut  or  bruised  by  the 
fall.  The  man's  surprise  kept  him  for  some  time 
silent,  until  he  found  the  dressings  completed, 
and  even  his  wig  picked  up,  by  the  good  Samari- 
tan, and  carefully  placed  upon  his  head.    He  now 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  185 

rose  from  the  floor,  and  limping  towards  his  bene- 
factor, began  to  pour  forth  his  grateful  thanks ; 
but  was  checked  by  an  expressive  frown,  accom- 
panied by  a  motion  of  the  hand  waving  to  the 
door  of  the  closet.  The  hint  was  understood  and 
taken,  though  not  without  some  wonder  that  a 
man  so  kind  and  considerate  should  yet  be  so 
unsociable  ;  but  his  wonder  ceased,  when,  upon 
relating  the  circumstance  to  a  friend,  he  was  in- 
formed that  it  was  to  the  Monarch  himself  that 
he  was  indebted  for  his  recovery  and  accommo- 
dation. 

His  Majesty  being  himself  afflicted  with  a  vio- 
lent pain  in  his  thumb,  which  baffled  all  the  ap- 
plications of  the  faculty,  resolved  to  send  for  the 
noted  Dr.  Joshua  "Ward,  who  was  at  that  time  in 
high  vogue  with  the  public  on  account  of  the  real 
or  supposed  virtues  of  his  pill  and  drop.  Previous 
to  his  being  admitted  into  the  royal  presence, 
Ward  ascertained  the  nature  of  the  complaint,  and 
prepared  himself  with  a  particular  nostrum,  which 
he  kept  concealed  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand. 
When  he  was  introduced,  he  requested  permis- 
sion to  examine  the  infected  part ;  which  the  King 
complying  with,  Ward  gave  him  so  sudden  a 
wrench,  that  his  Majesty,  who  was  naturally  pas- 
sionate, cursed  him  for  a  rascal,  and  kicked  him 
on  the  shins.  The  Doctor  bore  all  this  very  pa- 
tiently, and  when  he  found  the  King  a  little  cool 


186  GEORGE    THE   THIRD,  1760. 

he  respectfully  asked  him  to  move  his  thumb, 
which  he  easily  did,  and,  to  his  great  joy  and  sur- 
prise, found  that  the  pain  was  entirely  gone.  His 
Majesty  was  so  transported  at  this  relief,  that  he 
called  Ward  his  iEsculapius,  made  him  sit  down 
in  his  presence,  and  insisted  on  knowing  what  he 
could  do  for  him.  Ward  replied,  that  he  was  suf- 
ficiently remunerated  by  the  pleasure  of  serving 
his  Majesty  ;  but  that  he  had  a  nephew  unpro- 
vided for,  any  favour  conferred  upon  whom  he 
should  consider  as  bestowed  upon  himself.  The 
King  immediately  insisted  on  the  Doctor's  accept- 
ance of  a  handsome  carriage  and  horses,  and  af- 
terwards presented  an  ensigncy  in  the  guards  to 
his  nephew,  the  late  General  Gansell. 

The  financial  distresses  of  this  reign  were  whim- 
sically illustrated  by  an  idiot,  or  half-witted  fellow, 
employed  as  a  workman  during  some  repairs  at 
Kensington,  where  the  King  sometimes  amused 
himself  by  a  daily  inspection  of  progress.  One 
day,  this  fellow,  unconscious  of  the  distance  be- 
tween royalty  and  himself,  asked  the  King  for 
something  to  drink ;  and  the  Monarch,  though  dis- 
pleased at  the  freedom  of  the  request,  yet  ashamed 
to  refuse  it,  mechanically  put  his  hand  to  both 
his  pockets,  but  found  them  empty.  "  I  have  no 
money,"  said  the  King. — "  Nor  I  either,"  replied 
the  workman  ;  "  I  can't  think  where  it  is  all  gone 
to,  for  my  part !"    The  remark,  it  is  said,  did  not 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  187 

please  his  Majesty  ;  and  the  man  was  removed  to 
other  duty. 

The  extreme  regularity  of  George  II.  in  paying 
his  household,  was  pointedly  exemplified  in  the 
anecdote  of  his  sending  one  day  for  Mr.  Pelham 
in  a  hurry,  to  ask  why  the  civil  list  was  not  paid ; 
when  Pelham  confessed  that  the  money  had  been 
applied  to  some  other  purpose,  which  he  had  con- 
sidered as  of  more  importance.  But  the  King, 
swearing  an  oath,  told  him,  that  if  he  would  not 
pay  the  arrears  instantly,  he  would  get  another 
minister  that  should  pay  it.  "I  will  not,"  added 
his  Majesty,  "  be  the  only  master  in  my  kingdom 
who  does  not  see  his  servants  paid !  " 

The  King  was  sometimes  out  of  patience  with 
the  Commons :  but  a  whimsical  anecdote  of  Wal- 
pole's  mode  of  influencing  the  House  is  told  in  Dr. 
King's  Anecdotes  of  his  own  times ;  where  it  is 
stated,  that  once  when  Sir  Robert  wished  to  carry 
an  important  point,  to  which  he  knew  there  would 
be  great  opposition,  as  it  was  disliked  even  by  his 
own  dependents,  he  waited  for  some  time  in  the 
avenues  of  St.  Stephen's,  and  passing  through  the 
Court  of  Requests,  met  a  member  of  the  opposite 
party  whose  avarice,  he  imagined,  would  not 
refuse  a  bribe.  He  therefore  took  him  aside,  and 
said,  "  Such  a  question  comes  on  this  day;  give 
me  your  vote,  and  here  is  a  bank-bill  of  2000/.'' 
which  he  put  into  his  hands.     The  member  did 


188  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 

not  reject  the  offer,  but  with  that  modesty  which 
made  him  wish  to  deceive  both  the  tempter  and 
himself  as  to  his  inducement,  he  replied,  "  Sir 
Robert,  you  have  lately  served  some  of  my  parti- 
cular friends ;  and  when  my  wife  was  last  at  court, 
the  King  was  very  gracious  to  her,  which  must 
have  happened  at  your  instance.  I  should  there- 
fore think  myself  very  ungrateful  (putting  the  bank 
bill  into  his  pocket)  if  I  were  to  refuse  the  favour 
you  are  now  pleased  to  ask  me.'' 

The  fondness  of  George  II.  for  his  electorate  of 
Hanover  was  so  well-known  that  a  short  time 
previous  to  the  war  with  France,  the  charge  d'af- 
faires of  that  nation,  M.  Bussy,  had  the  hardi- 
hood to  insult  the  King  on  two  different  occasions ; 
once  at  Hanover,  and  again  at  London.  Whilst 
at  Hanover,  and  the  King  was  making  strong  re- 
presentations to  him  respecting  the  part  which 
France  was  taking  in  the  affairs  of  Germany,  the 
insolent  Frenchman  made  no  reply,  except  a  re- 
petition of  the  words,  "  Mais,  Sire,  Monsieur  de 
Maillebois  !  "  as  if  he  had  been  holding  a  rod  over 
a  child ;  that  general  being  then  hovering  about 
the  electorate  with  an  army  of  40,000  men.  In 
London,  when  the  King  asked  him,  "  What  news 
at  Paris?"  the  fellow  had  the  impertinence  to  re- 
ply, "  Sire,  il  y  gele," — May  it  please  your  Ma- 
jesty, it  freezes  there.  When  called  to  account  for 
this,  his  excuse  was  yet  worse  than  his  original 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  189 

impertinence,  for  he  said  he  was  absent! — but 
Monsieur  Bussy's  nation,  of  which  he  was  a 
worthy  representative,  was  soon  taught  manners 
by  the  wisdom  of  a  Pitt,  and  the  gallantry  of  a 
Hawke  and  a  Wolfe ! 

His  affection  for  the  electorate  was  also  some- 
times taken  advantage  of  by  his  own  ministers, 
particularly  on  one  occasion,  when  Lord  Gran- 
ville, asking  him  to  confer  the  residentiary  ship 
of  St.  Paul's  on  Dr.  (well  known  as  Demos- 
thenes) Taylor,  the  King  hesitated,  saying  that  he 
understood  the  preferment  was  always  given  to  a 
scholar  of  note.  His  lordship  immediately  an- 
swered that  the  doctor's  fame  for  learning  was 
celebrated  all  over  Germany !  The  appointment 
was  instantly  conceded  *'. 

*  Amongst  other  anecdotes  connected  with  church  prefer- 
ment is  a  remarkable  one  recorded  by  the  venerable  Bishop 
Newton  respecting  Dr.  John  Thomas,  Bishop  of  Salisbury, 
and  Dr.  John  Thomas,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  whose  circum- 
stances were  such  that  it  was  not  easy  to  distinguish  them. 
Somebody  speaking  of  Dr.  Thomas,  it  was  asked,  Which  Dr. 
Thomas  do  you  mean  ?  Dr.  John  Thomas. — They  are  both 
named  John.  Dr.  Thomas,  who  has  a  living  in  the  city. — They 
have  both  livings  in  the  city.  Dr.  Thomas,  who  is  chaplain  to 
the  King. — They  are  both  chaplains  to  the  King.  Dr.  Thomas 
who  is  a  very  good  preacher. — They  are  both  very  good  prea- 
chers. Dr.  Thomas,  who  squints. — They  both  squint;  for  Dr. 
Thomas,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  handsome  as  he  was,  yet  had  a 
little  cast  with  one  of  his  eyes. — Dr.  Thomas,  Bishop  of  Salis- 
bury, succeeded  Dr.  Lockyer  both  in  the  chaplainship  at  Ham- 


190  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 

Hasty  and  rather  obstinate  in  his  disposition,  he 
often  found  it  difficult  to  yield  to  the  state  reasons, 
or  other  reasons  of  policy,  by  which  the  cabinet 
were  generally  guided.     On  one  occasion  he  had 

burgh  and  the  deanery  of  Peterborough.  The  manner  of  his  rise 
and  preferment,  as  he  has  himself  been  heard  more  than  once 
to  relate  it,  is  curious. — Dr. Thomas  was  accustomed,  as  well  as 
Dr.  Lockyer,  to  go  from  Hamburgh  to  pay  his  duty  at  Hanover 
every  year  that  the  King  came  over.  After  some  time,  his 
Majesty  George  II.  asked  him  whether,  if  he  could  obtain  any 
preferment  from  the  crown,  he  would  not  gladly  leave  Ham- 
burgh to  settle  in  England  ?  He  replied,  that  his  Majesty's 
father  had  made  him  the  like  gracious  offer,  and  he  had  de- 
clined it,  because  then  there  were  several  eminent  merchants 
and  factors  who  were  very  kind  and  liberal  to  him,  and  he 
lived  among  them  much  to  his  ease  and  satisfaction:  but  now 
the  case  was  altered — most  of  his  old  friends  had  died  or 
were  removed,  a  new  race  was  springing  up,  and  he  should 
think  himself  very  happy  to  return  to  England  under  his 
Majesty's  patronage  and  protection.  "  Well,"  said  the 
King,  "  consider  with  yourself,  and  consult  with  my  Lord 
Harrington  (who  was  the  secretary  then  attending  upon 
the  King),  and  he  will  let  me  know  your  wants  and  wishes." 
The  next  time  the  King  saw  him,  he  said,  "  My  Lord  Harring- 
ton informs  me,  that  you  desire  to  have  one  of  the  royal  pre- 
bends; but  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  grant  you  any  such  thing; 
my  ministers  lay  their  hands  upon  them  all,  as  necessary  for 
my  service :  but  I  will  tell  you  what  I  will  do  for  you — they 
do  not  much  mind  livings,  and  I  will  give  you  the  first  living 
that  falls,  and  then  I  will  make  you  one  of  my  chaplains,  and 
then  the  next  time  I  come  to  Hanover,  you  shall  come  over 
with  me  as  my  chaplain,  and  then  if  a  prebend  or  deanery 
should  happen  to  fall,  you  would  have  a  good  chance  of  sue- 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  191 

promised  a  vacant  situation,  of  some  consequence, 
to  one  whom  he  wished  to  oblige';  but  the  cabinet 
were  as  obstinate  as  himself,  and  resolved  to  carry 
their  point :  accordingly,  the  next  time  when  they 

ceeding  to  it ;  and  this  is  the  only  way  wherein  I  can  procure 
any  such  thing  for  you."     Agreeably  to  this  plan,  Dr.  Thomas 
returned  to  England  j  had  the  living  of  St.  Vedast,  Foster-lane  ; 
was  appointed  one  of  the  King's  chaplains;    and  the   spring 
ensuing,  when  the  King  was  making  preparations  for  Hanover, 
he  sent  word  privately  to  Dr.  Thomas  to  prepare  himself,  and 
to  have  every  thing  in  readiness  to  be  put  on  board  such  a  day. 
Before  he  went  he  thought  it  proper  to  wait  upon  Bishop  Gib- 
son, who  was  then  the  ecclesiastical  minister,  and  to  acquaint 
him  with  the  King's  order.     "  You  go  to  Hanover  !"  said  the 
bishop,  "  it  cannot  be :  Dr.  Clagget  is  to  go  to   Hanover :  it 
was  fixed  and  settled  some  time  ago."     Dr.  Thomas  answered, 
that    he    had  received  his  Majesty's    express  command,  and 
should  certainly  obey  it:  and  accordingly  Dr.  Thomas  attended 
the  King  to  Hanover,  and  not  Dr.  Clagget.     It  happened  in 
the  course  of  the  summer  that  the  deanery  of  Peterborough 
became  vacant,  and  Dr.  Thomas  had  the  honour  to  kiss  his 
Majesty's  hand  for  it.     At  the  same  time  the  Duke  of  Newcastle 
wrote  to  him  from  England,  that  he  had  in  a  manner  engaged 
the  Deanery  to  Dr.  Newcome,  the  master  of  St.  John's  College, 
in  Cambridge,  and  should  be  greatly  obliged  to  Dr.  Thomas  if 
he  would  be  so  good  as  to  wave  his  turn  :  the  duke  would  cer- 
tainly procure  for  him  another  deanery,  or  the  first  residen- 
tiaryship  of  St.  Paul's  that  should  become  vacant.     Dr.  Thomas 
wrote  in  answer,  that  as  the  King  had  been  graciously  pleased 
to  give  him  the  deanery,  he  could  not  with  any  decency  or 
good  manners  decline  his  Majesty's  favour,  but  that  his  Grace 
might  vacate  the  deanery,  by  giving  him  a  better,  as  soon  as 
ever  he  pleased. 


192  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17C0. 

sat  in  the  palace,  in  an  apartment  next  to  the 
King's  closet,  a  blank  appointment  was  drawn  up, 
in  order  that  they  might  pay  to  his  Majesty  the 
empty  compliment  of  asking  what  name  should  be 
inserted  in  the  commission.  The  difficulty  was, 
however,  to  fix  upon  the  individual  member  who 
should  brave  the  royal  anger  in  the  closet ;  and  the 
choice  fell  upon  the  witty  Lord  Chesterfield,  who 
boldly,  but  respectfully  entered  the  closet,  with  a 
pen  in  one  hand,  and  the  blank  commission  in  the 
other,  and  enquired  of  the  King  to  whom  he 
pleased  that  the  vacancy  should  be  given.  "  Give 
it  to  the  Devil ! "  replied  the  angry  Monarch  ; 
when  Chesterfield  very  coolly  prepared  to  fill  up 
the  blank,  but  stopped  short,  saying,  "  Would 
your  Majesty  please  that  this  commission  should 
run  in  the  usual  form — "  To  our  trusty  and  well- 
beloved  cousin,  the  Devil!"  The  clouded  brow 
was  instantly  relaxed  into  a  smile — and  the 
cabinet  carried  their  point. 

Though  certainly  not  avaricious,  yet  this  Mo- 
narch had  a  just  sense  of  the  value  of  money,  of 
which  he  gave  an  instance  one  evening  whilst 
passing  through  his  own  apartments  to  those  of 
the  Countess  of  Yarmouth,  as  was  his  frequent 
custom  after  dinner.  At  this  time,  accompanied 
only  by  a  page,  and  having  a  small  canvas  bag  of 
guineas  in  his  hand,  which  he  accidentally  drop- 
ped, one  of  the  guineas  rolled  under  the  door  of  a 


1760.     HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILV.  193 

closet  where  wood  was  generally  kept  for  the  use 
of  the  bedchamber.  After  deliberately  picking  up 
the  rest  of  the  money,  he  missed  a  guinea,  and 
guessing  where  it  had  gone  to,  he  said  to  the  page, 
"  Come,  we  must  find  this  guinea;  help  me  with 
the  wood."  To  work  they  both  went,  and  in  a 
short  time  found  the  lost  coin,  when  his  Majesty 
observed  to  the  page,  "  Well !  you  have  worked 
hard;  there  is  the  guinea  for  your  labour.  I  would 
have  nothing  lost,  and  1  would  have  every  body 
paid  for  his  work." 

The  attempt,  which  was  made  to  deprive  the 
inhabitants  of  Richmond  of  enjoying  the  Royal 
demesnes,  did  not  meet  with  his  approbation. 
Indeed  there  is  an  anecdote  of  him,  that  coming- 
one  day  to  the  gardens  and  finding  the  gates 
locked,  whilst  some  decently  dressed  persons 
were  standing  on  the  outside,  he  called  to  the 
gardener  in  a  great  passion,  and  told  him  to  open 
the  gate  instantly,  adding,  "  My  subjects,  Sir, 
walk  where  they  please."  To  the  same  gardener, 
who  complained  that  visitors  tore  up  the  flower- 
roots  and  shrubs  in  the  gardens,  he  hastily  ex- 
claimed, "  Plant  more  then,  you  blockhead!" 

His  kindness  towards  the  army  and  navy  was 
often  thwarted  by  his  ministers :  partly  through 
financial  difficulties,  and  partly  perhaps  through 
false  policy.  On  some  occasions  he,  however, 
would  act  for  himself,  especially  in  the  case  of  a 

vol.  i.  o 


194  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G0. 

young  lieutenant  of  marines,  who  lost  both  legs  at 
the  siege  of  Fort  St.  Philip  in  Minorca,  and  who, 
on  being  sent  home,  memorialized  in  vain  for  some 
trifling  addition  to  his  half-pay.  Major  Mason,  a 
friend  of  his,  was  determined  that  the  case  should 
be  known  to  the  King,  and  accordingly  took  care 
to  post  the  youth  in  the  guard-room  at  St.  James's, 
supported  by  two  brother  officers,  in  hopes  of  at- 
tracting the  King's  attention  as  he  passed  through 
to  the  drawing-room.  On  his  Majesty's  approach, 
the  crippled  officer  exclaimed,  "  Behold,  great 
sire,  a  man  who  refuses  to  bend  his  knee  to  you ; 
for  he  has  lost  both  in  your  service."  The  King, 
struck  by  the  incident,  stopped  and  demanded 
what  had  been  done  for  him,  and  on  hearing  that 
half-pay  was  his  sole  remuneration,  exclaimed, 
"  Fye!  fyeon't!  but  let  me  see  you  next  levee- 
day."  The  officer  failed  not  to  obey  the  command, 
when  the  King,  with  his  own  hand,  presented  him 
with  500/.  as  smart  money,  and  an  order  for  a 
pension  of  200/.  per  annum  for  life. 

Another  anecdote  is  related  of  general  Otway, 
who  had  been  many  years  in  the  service  with  the 
rank  of  colonel,  during  which  time  several  junior 
colonels  had  got  regiments  over  his  head.  His 
friends  frequently  entreated  him  to  state  his  ser- 
vices and  to  petition  the  King  :  he  resisted  their 
importunities  for  a  considerable  time ;  but  being 
at  length  prevailed  upon,  he  desired  the  chaplain 


1760.  HIS    COLmT,    AND    FAMILY.  195 

of  the  regiment  he  served  in  to  draw  up  a  peti- 
tion, which  being  done  and  sent  to  the  colonel,  he 
took  notice  that  it  concluded  with  the  words  "  and 
your  petitioner  shall  ever  pray."  He  sent  for  the 
chaplain,  and  told  him  that  he  had  made  a  mis- 
take, and  imagined  he  was  presenting  a  petition 
for  himself  by  the  manner  in  which  he  had  con- 
cluded it.  He  desired  the  petition  to  be  altered 
from  the  usual  conclusion :  and  insisted  that  the 
word  pray  was  unfit  to  come  from  an  officer.  It 
was  to  no  purpose  that  he  was  informed  of  the 
usual  mode  of  drawing  the  prayer  of  all  petitions  ; 
he  would  not  give  up  his  opinion  upon  the  matter, 
but  insisted  it  should  run  thus,  "  and  your  peti- 
tioner shall  ever  Jight."  He  took  the  petition  to 
court  and  presented  it  to  the  King,  who  was  pleased 
with  the  novelty  of  the  conclusion,  and  the  honest 
bluntness  of  the  officer ;  and  in  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks  a  regiment  became  vacant,  which  was  given 
to  Otway,  in  opposition  to  ministers,  who  had 
promised  to  provide  for  a  friend  possessing  some 
interest  in  parliament. 

Lord  Hervey  having  been  very  unaccountably 
passed  over  in  a  general  promotion  of  officers,  the 
King  took  notice  of  the  omission,  and  inquired  the 
reason  of  it,  on  which  the  minister  endeavoured 
to  excuse  himself  by  saying  that  his  lordship  was 
mad.  "  Is  he  so?"  said  his  Majesty;  "  then  for 
that  very  reason  he  shall  be  advanced  and  em- 

o  2 


190  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 

ployed  too,  that  he  may  have  an  opportunity  of 
biting  some  of  my  generals." 

George  II.  and  his  Queen  preferred  the  Hay- 
market  Theatre  to  the  one  in  Lincoln's-inn-fields, 
which  latter  was  notwithstanding  always  the  most 
fashionable  and  crowded  ;  so  that  Lord  Chester- 
field coming  into  it  one  night,  and  being  asked 
if  he  had  been  at  the  other  house, — "  Yes,"  said 
he,  "  but  there  was  nobody  there  except  the 
King  and  Queen  ;  and  as  I  thought  they  might  be 
talking  business,  1  came  away !  " 

On  another  occasion,  George  II.  was  sitting  at 
the  theatre,  and  the  performers  had  delayed  their 
appearance,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  the  au- 
dience ;  but  shortly  after,  to  their  great  amuse- 
ment, a  cat  leaped  upon  the  stage.  Two  gentle- 
men were  sitting  next  each  other  in  the  boxes, 
one  of  whom  was  known  to  be  as  enthusiastic 
a  tory,  as  the  other  was  a  rigid,  but  loyal,  whig. 
The  tory  observed  that  this  made  good  the  old 
adage,  that  a  cat  might  look  at  the  King. — "  Yes," 
replied  the  whig,  with  consummate  gravity,  "  and 
a  very  good  King  too !  "  To  which  the  tory,  a 
little  nettled,  replied,  mimicking  his  gravity,  "Yes; 
and  a  very  good  cat  too ! ' 

In  regard  to  his  real  esteem  and  affection  for 
the  deceased  Queen,  we  can  here  add,  on  the 
authority  of  an  intelligent  writer,  that  his  Ma- 
jesty left  a  paper  of  directions,  as  to  the  manner 


1760.      HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.  197 

in  which  his  body  should  be  treated ;  expressly 
ordering  that  the  coffin  should  be  so  constructed 
thqt  one  side  of  it  might  be  taken  out,  in  the  same 
mode  as  that  of  Queen  Caroline  had  been  fitted, 
in  order  that  in  the  vault  means  might  be  taken 
so  to  place  the  two  bodies  as  if  in  one  coffin. 
These  directions,  it  is  understood,  were  punctu- 
ally complied  with. 


198  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 


SECTION  III. 


1760—1770. 


Measures  of  the  new  King — Patriotic  Declarations — Mar- 
riage —  Coronation  —  Political  arrangements  —  Birth  of 
George  IV. — Anecdotes  political  and  domestic,  fyc.  fyc.  fyc. 


The  intelligence  of  the  royal  demise  reached  the 
youthful  heir,  whilst  riding  on  horseback  in  the 
vicinity  of  Kew  accompanied  by  Lord  Bute, 
through  some  unofficial  channel ;  and  was  imme- 
diately afterwards  confirmed  by  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Pitt,  then  secretary  of  state,  and  in  fact  prime 
minister.  The  party  then  rode  back  to  Kew  palace,, 
and  Mr.  Pitt  returned  to  town.  On  the  ensuing 
morning  the  youthful  Monarch  set  off  for  St. 
James's  accompanied  by  Lord  Bute ;  and,  on  his 
arrival,  was  presented  by  Mr.  Pitt  with  a  paper 
on  which  were  written,  a  few  sentences  which  the 
minister  hinted  might  be  proper  to  repeat  to  the 
privy  council.  The  King  thanked  Mr.  Pitt  for 
this  considerate  measure,  but  observed  that  he 


1760.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         199 

had  previously  viewed  the  subject  with  some  at- 
tention, and  had  already  prepared  the  heads  of 
what  he  should  say  at  the  council  table.  This,  it 
is  true,  was  not  a  dismissal  of  the  minister ;  but 
Mr.  Pitt  could  not  help  seeing  that  Lord  Bute 
had  been  beforehand  with  him  in  gaining  the  royal 
confidence.  That  Lord  Bute  should  have  done 
so  is  not  surprising,  when  we  read  the  details  of 
Lord  Melcombe  and  of  Sir  N.  W.  Wraxall,  re- 
specting the  jealous  attention  with  which  the  pre- 
ceding ten  years  of  his  life  had  been  watched  by 
that  nobleman  in  unison  with  an  elevated  female. 

The  council  assembled  at  Carleton-house, 
where  the  King  met  them ;  and  it  is  a  fact  that 
although  at  first  he  appeared  agitated  and  em- 
barrassed by  the  novelty  of  his  situation,  and 
indeed  the  want  of  personal  acquaintance  with 
his  grandfather's  ministers,  yet  he  soon  acquired 
self-possession,  and  gave  great  satisfaction  by  his 
manners  and  conduct. 

In  his  address  to  this  first  council,  he  lamented 
the  death  of  his  grandfather,  especially  at  that 
critical  juncture  ;  modestly  alluded  to  his  own  in- 
sufficiency, but  declared  his  determination  to  fol- 
low the  impulse  of  the  tenderest  affection  for  his 
native  country,  depending  upon  the  advice  of  the 
lords  of  the  council,  and  resolving  to  make  it 
the  happiness  of  his  life  to  promote  the  glory  and 
welfare  of  the  empire,  to  preserve  and  strengthen 


200  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 

the  constitution  in  both  church  and  state,  and  to 
prosecute  the  existing  just  and  necessary  war  with 
all  vigour,  but  with  a  clue  regard  to  the  bringing 
it  to  an  honourable  and  lasting  peace.  "  The 
loss  that  I  and  the  nation  have  sustained,"  said 
he,  "  by  the  death  of  the  King  my  grandfather, 
would  have  been  severely  felt  at  any  time  ;  but, 
coming  at  so  critical  a  juncture,  and  so  unex- 
pected, it  is  by  many  circumstances  augmented, 
and  the  weight  now  falling  on  me  much  increased. 
I  feel  my  own  insufficiency  to  support  it  as  I 
wish ;  but,  animated  by  the  tenderest  affection  for 
my  native  country,  and  depending  on  the  advice, 
experience,  and  abilities  of  your  lordships,  and  the 
support  and  assistance  of  every  honest  man,  I 
enter  with  cheerfulness  into  this  arduous  situation, 
and  shall  make  it  the  business  of  my  life  to  pro- 
mote in  every  thing  the  glory  and  happiness  of 
these  kingdoms,  to  preserve  and  strengthen  the 
constitution  both  in  church  and  state ;  and,  as  I 
mount  the  throne  in  the  midst  of  an  expensive, 
but  just  and  necessary  war,  I  shall  endeavour  to 
prosecute  it  in  the  manner  the  most  likely  to 
bring  on  an  honourable  and  lasting  peace  in  con- 
cert with  my  allies." 

This  declaration  was  received  with  marked  at- 
tention on  the  part  of  the  lords  of  the  council,  who 
requested,  agreeable  to  form,  that  it  might  be 
printed,  for  the  information  of  the  nation  at  large. 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  201 

On  this  occasion  also,  the  King  took  notice  of  a 
law  which  required  that  on  his  accession  to  the 
throne  he  should  take  and  subscribe  the  oath  re- 
lating to  the  security  of  the  church  of  Scotland, 
observing  that  he  was  now  ready  to  do  so  on  this 
first  opportunity.  This  ceremony  was  accordingly 
performed  before  the  council,  the  members  of 
which  had  been  previously  sworn  of  the  new  privy 
council,  the  former  having  expired  with  the  de- 
ceased Monarch. 

On  the  26th,  the  ceremony  of  proclamation  took 
place ;  first  before  Saville-house,  where  the  offi- 
cers of  state,  nobility,  and  privy-councillors,  were 
present,  with  the  officers  at  arms,  all  on  foot ;  after 
which,  the  heralds  mounted  on  horseback,  pro- 
ceeding to  Charing-cross,  Temple-bar,  the  end  of 
Wood-street,  Cheapside,  and  the  Royal  Exchange, 
accompanied  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the 
Duke  of  Leeds,  and  Lord  Falmouth ;  at  all  which 
stations  proclamations  took  place  with  the  usual 
solemnities. 

On  the  ensuing  day,  the  27th,  his  Majesty  held 
a  council  at  St.  James's,  when  his  next  brother, 
the  Duke  of  York,  and  Lord  Bute,  were  sworn  in 
as  members  ;  the  latter  being  introduced  as  groom 
of  the  stole  in  the  new  royal  household,  which  office 
he  held  in  the  Princes  establishment  previous  to 
the  accession.  The  parliament  was  also  prorogued 
to  the  13th  of  November. 


202  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17C0. 

The  usual  orders  were  given  for  court  and  gene- 
ral mourning,  the  latter  beino-  directed  to  be  the 
deepest  possible,  long  cloaks  only  excepted ;  it  is 
also  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  mourning  for  the 
army  and  navy  was  respectively  black  facings  to 
regimentals  and  uniforms. 

It  was  now  fully  understood,  that  the  late  Mo- 
narch had  left  a  will ;  but  such  an  instrument  be- 
ing constitutionally  illegal,  it  was  never  put  in 
force  :  yet  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  certainly  took 
the  opinion  of  counsel  upon  that  subject.* 

On  the  28th,  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Aldermen 
waited  on  his  Majesty  at  Saville-house,  with  a 
congratulatory  address,  and  condolence  upon  the 
recent  national  loss :  in  which  they  declare  their 
peculiar  happiness  to  see  that  the  youthful  Mo- 
narch's heart  was  truly  English,  he  having  dis- 
covered in  his  earliest  years  the  warmest  attention 
to  the  laws  and  constitution,  so  excellently  formed 
as  to  give  liberty  to  the  people  while  they  confer 
power  upon  the  Prince,  being  thus  a  mutual  sup- 
port of  the  prerogative  of  the  crown,  and  of  the 
rights  of  the  subject. 

This  municipal  address  further  stated  that  his 
Majesty  was  then  in  possession  of  the  united 
hearts  of  all  his  people  ;  happily  too,  at  a  time 
when  the  honour  and  credit  of  the  nation,  through 

*  Nichols'  "Recollections"  contain  some  curious  gossip  re- 
specting this  circumotance. 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  203 

the  courage  and  activity  of  our  fleets  and  armies, 
were  in  the  highest  extent,  and  when  there  were 
no  divisions  at  home  to  obstruct  the  continuance 
of  measures  which  had  already  carried  terror  to 
our  enemies  abroad.  The  conclusion  expressed  a 
conviction  that  his  Majesty,  having  the  true  inte- 
rests of  the  nation  at  heart,  would  use  all  his 
power  in  protecting  the  trade,  rights,  and  liberties 
of  his  subjects. 

The  King's  answer  was  short,  but  expressive. 

"  I  have  great  satisfaction  in  the  early  marks 
you  have  given  me  of  your  zeal  and  affection  for 
me  and  my  government. 

"  And  I  return  you  my  hearty  thanks.  You 
may  rely  on  my  tender  concern  for  the  rights, 
trade,  and  manufactures  of  the  City  of  London." 

The  reception  was  most  gracious  ;  the  deputa- 
tion kissed  hands,  and  two  of  the  Aldermen  were 
knighted. 

On  the  29th  a  notice  was  issued  from  the  Lord 
Chamberlain's  Office,  that  drawing-rooms  would 
be  held  on  Wednesdays,  and  on  Sundays  after 
divine  service;  but  the  latter  arrangement,  we 
believe,  was  very  soon  afterwards  set  aside  by 
the  good  sense  and  decorum  of  his  Majesty  him- 
self, who  thought  the  Sabbath-day  might  be  em- 
ployed to  better  purposes  than  court  etiquette. 

The  usual  proclamation  was  also  issued,  requir- 
ing all  persons  in  office  to  proceed  in  the  execution 


204  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 

of  their  respective  duties,  and  to  take  the  oaths  to 
the  new  Sovereign  as  soon  as  convenient. 

The  example  of  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen  was 
followed  up  by  the  Common-council  on  the  30th 
of  October:  and  on  the  31st  the  first  stone  of 
Blackfriars  bridge  was  laid,  a  coeval  memorial  of 
the  new  reign. 

The  first  attendance  of  the  new  Monarch  at 
public  worship  was  on  the  2d  of  November,  when 
he  went  in  a  chair  privately  from  Saville-house  to 
St.  James's  chapel.  The  sermon  on  this  occasion 
was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Nicholls,  master  of 
the  Temple,  who  chose  his  text  from  Psalm  xxiii. 
v.  2.  "  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil." 

On  the  ensuing  day  the  Court  of  Lieutenancy 
for  the  City  of  London  waited  upon  the  King,  and 
were  graciously  received  ;  and  on  the  4th  his  Ma- 
jesty removed  from  Saville-house  to  St.  James's 
palace,  where  he  occupied  the  apartments  formerly 
inhabited  by  William  III.  The  Princess  Dowager 
continued  her  residence  at  Leicester-house.  The 
Duke  of  Cumberland  and  the  Princess  Amelia 
gave  up  their  royal  apartments  at  St.  James's,  as 
did  also  the  Countess  of  Yarmouth,  who  exchanged 
her  splendid  but  meretricious  establishment  for  a 
house  in  Dover  Street.  Addresses  now  poured  in 
from  all  quarters.  The  Merchants  of  London  paid 
a  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased 


17G0.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  205 

Monarch,  for  his  constant  encouragement  of  com- 
merce during  peace,  and  the  unparalleled  extent 
and  security  which  it  had  enjoyed  during  the 
existing  war ;  adding  to  this  their  confidence  in 
the  new  Monarch,  and  their  own  determination 
to  support  public  credit,  so  necessary  for  the  vin- 
dication both  of  regal  and  popular  rights. 

The  King  told  them  in  reply  that  he  was  fully 
sensible  that  the  wealth  of  the  empire,  though 
amidst  the  expenses  of  such  an  arduous  war,  was 
principally  the  result  of  trade  and  commerce, 
which  he  would  protect  and  encourage  to  the  ut- 
most of  his  power. 

On  the  18th  of  November  his  Majest}^  first  met 
the  parliament,  which  he  opened  with  a  speech 
that  embodied  the  preceding  declaration ;  ex- 
pressing his  determination  to  adhere  to  the  exist- 
ing system  of  policy,  both  at  home  and  abroad, 
and  adding  the  well  known  "  Born  and  educated 
in  this  country,  I  glory  in  the  name  of  Briton ; 
and  the  peculiar  happiness  of  my  life  will  ever 
consist  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  a  people, 
whose  loyalty  and  warm  affection  tome  I  consider 
as  the  greatest  and  most  permanent  security  of 
my  throne."  Mr.  Nichols  observes  that  the  ex- 
chancellor,  the  Earl  of  Hardwick,  censured  this 
expression  as  an  insult  to  the  memory  of  the  de- 
parted Monarch ;  but  he  adds,  that  the  nation  was 
pleased  with  the  speech. 


20G  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  ]  7G0. 

It  was  remarked  by  many  old  people  that  there 
never  had  been  so  great  an  assemblage  of  almost 
all  ranks,  both  in  the  park  and  in  the  houses,  than 
to  see  his  Majesty  upon  this  occasion  in  state  ; 
nor  did  they  ever  remember  so  much  unanimity 
in  the  testification  of  public  applause.  The  King 
too  appeared  delighted,  expressing  his  satisfaction 
both  in  countenance  and  behaviour,  bowing  from 
the  coach- window  to  the  various  greetings  of  the 
people. 

When  he  went  to  the  theatre  in  the  evening,  the 
house  was  crowded,  having  been  filled  as  early  as 
three  o'clock,  and  many  thousands  were  sent  away 
disappointed. 

This  early  royal  notice  of  the  national  drama, 
is  in  perfect  consonance  with  the  observations  of 
a  judicious  writer,  (New  Monthly  Magazine, 
April  1820,  p.  386,)  that  the  King  was  neither 
an  anchoret  nor  a  recluse ;  to  his  taste  and  good 
judgment  the  amateurs  of  the  theatre  owe  most 
of  those  improvements  which  constitute  the  boast 
of  modern  days.  No  audience  could  now  tolerate 
scenes  which  Dryden  and  Congreve  did  not  blush 
to  avow.  And  when  a  desire  of  rational  improve- 
ment had  once  visited  the  green  room,  it  extended 
its  influence  to  minor  matters  ;  even  the  costume 
of  the  stage  underwent  reform ;  Cato  no  longer 
personified  the  stern  Roman  in  a  full-bottomed 
peruke   and  a  flowing  morning-gown ;    nor   did 


17G0.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  207 

Macbeth,  the  Scot,  continue  to  consult  the  witches 
at  their  caldron,  or  startle  at  the  ghost  of  Banquo, 
in  the  parade  uniform  of  a  modern  general. 

Some  alarm  was  excited  for  his  Majesty  by  an 
accident  which  took  place  in  Hyde  Park  on  the 
2d  of  December,  whilst  mounting  his  horse  ;  for 
the  animal  suddenly  rearing  up,  the  King  was 
forced  to  throw  himself  off,  but  happily  escaped 
without  any  serious  hurt;  and,  being  bled  imme- 
diately, he  was  sufficiently -well  to  attend  Covent 
Garden  in  the  evening  to  see  Hamlet,  being  his 
own  first  appearance  there  in  his  new  character. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  the  King  went  to  the 
House  of  Peers,  and  gave  his  first  Royal  assent, 
several  acts  being  then  prepared ;  particularly  for 
the  support  of  his  Majesty's  household  and  of 
the  honour  and  dignity  of  the  crown  of  Great 
Britain.  All  his  yeomen  of  the  guards,  footmen, 
&c.  were  in  new  liveries  for  this  occasion ;  the 
show  was  splendid,  and  rapturously  hailed  by  the 
surrounding  crowd  *. 

*  The  new  state  coach,  built  for  those  occasions,  was  an  object 
of  great  interest  to  the  eye  of  taste.  Its  decorations  were  most 
brilliant,  and  executed  by  the  first  artists  of  the  time.  A  peri- 
odical work  of  great  literary  merit,  observes,  in  regard  to  the 
painting  of  this  vehicle,  that  it  appears  that  this  branch  of  the 
arts,  for  so  it  was  reckoned,  was  at  one  time  a  source  of  no  small 
employment  to  the  original  royal  academicians.  The  influence 
of  fashion  over  the  conveniences  and  comforts  of  life  has  in  no 
article  been  more  arbitrary  and  capricious  than  in  the  decora- 


208  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G0. 

On  the  23d  he  went  to  the  House  of  Peers  to 
give  assent  to  a  bill  enabling-  himself  to  be  gover- 
nor of  the  South  Sea  company;  and  in  the  even- 
ing he  made  his  second  appearance  at  Drury-Lane 
theatre  to  see  King  John. 

Christmas-day  was  kept  as  a  high  festival  at 
court ;  and  after  a  sermon  preached  by  the  Arch- 

tions  of  the  coaches  and  chariots  of  our  nobility  and  gentry. 
Since  the  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  those  vehicles  have  been 
improved  to  a  degree  of  comfort  and  elegance  which  the  great- 
est admirers  of  antiquity  will  not  wish  to  see  reduced  to  their 
primitive  simplicity  :  but  while  the  improvements  have  been 
regular  and  progressive,  their  ornamental  decorations  have  been 
various  and  changeable.  At  the  commencement  of  the  last 
century  the  pannels  of  coaches  were  painted  with  historical 
subjects,  which  were  often  but  little  suited  to  the  character  or 
profession  of  the  owners.  To  this  circumstance  Gay  alludes  in 
his  little  poem  of  "  Trivia,  or  the  Art  of  Walking  the  Streets, '* 
"  The  tricking  gamester  insolently  rides, 
With  loves  and  graces  bv  his  chariot  sides." 
After  this  fashion  ceased,  the  pannels  were  painted  simply  with 
the  arms  and  supporters  displayed  upon  a  large  mantle  ;  but  in 
a  few  years  the  mantle  was  laid  aside,  and  a  more  fanciful  shew 
of  flowers  intermixed  with  ornaments,  and  sometimes  genii, 
were  the  attendants  of  the  family  honours,  and  frequently  a 
wreath  or  bunch  of  various  flowers  unincumbered  with  any 
other  representation  than  the  arms  in  the  centre.  It  was  in 
this  last  method  that  Baker,  the  flower-painter,  was  considered 
as  pre-eminent,  particularly  by  those  who  laboured  in  the  same 
vocation;  and  it  must  be  allowed  that  his  productions  had  con- 
siderable merit,  although  they  were  too  much  marked  by  that 
sharpness  of  touch  peculiar  to  those  who  have  practised  in  this 
line. 


1760.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  209 

bishop  of  York,  his  Majesty  received  the  sacra- 
ment from  the  Bishop  of  Durham,  presenting  at 
the  same  time,  a  byzant,  or  wedge  of  gold,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  poor  *. 

Soon  after  the  accession  a  proclamation  was 
published  for  the  encouragement  of  piety  and 
virtue,  and  for  preventing    and   punishing   vice, 

Mr.  Cotton  was  the  first  herald-painter  who  ventured  to 
correct  the  bad  manner  of  painting  the  supporters  of  coats  of 
arms,  which  had  long  been  the  practice  of  his  predecessors, 
whose  representations  of  animals  were  considered  as  heraldic 
fictions  ratherthan  the  resemblances  of  animated  nature.  The 
opulent  coach-makers  having  now  taken  this  branch  of  decora- 
tion  into  their  own  hands,  the  herald-painters  are  become  no 
more  than  their  journeymen,  consequently  the  most  ingenious 
of  them  have  no  stimulus  to  exert  their  talents  or  seek  improve- 
ment, when  neither  honour  nor  profit  can  be  obtained  by  their 
exertions.  Hence  it  is,  that  while  carriages  have  been  in  the 
highest  degree  improved  both  for  elegance  and  comfort,  the 
painted  decorations  have  degenerated  into  a  state  of  frivolity 
and  meanness,  from  which  it  is  hardly  possible  for  them  to 
emerge.  Cipriani  was  employed  soon  after  the  accession  of  his 
present  Majesty  to  paint  the  state  coach. 

*  Bishop  Sherlock,  not  being  able  to  wait  upon  the  new  Mo- 
narch along  with  the  rest  of  the  prelates,  addressed  to  him  the 
following  very  interesting  epistle  : 

"  Sire, — Amidst  the  congratulations  that  surround  the  throne, 
permit  me  to  lay  before  your  Majesty  a  heart,  which,  though 
oppressed  with  age  and  infirmity,  is  no  stranger  to  the  joys  of 
my  country. 

''  When   the    melancholy  news    of  the   late  King's    demise 
reached  us,  it  naturally  led  us  to  consider  the  loss  we  had  sus- 
tained, and  upon  what  our  hopes  of  futurity  depended.     The 
VOL.   I.  P 


210  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17(]0 

profaneness,  and  immorality  ;  stating  the  royal 
determination  more  particularly  to  notice  those 
persons  employed  about  the  court ;  and  calling 
upon  all  civil,  military,  and  naval  officers,  to  en- 
force the  laws  in  that  respect,  and  themselves  to 
set  the  example. 

The  virtuous  continence  of  the  Monarch  him- 
self, at  this  period,  is  highly  deserving  of  praise 
and  admiration,  proceeding,  not  from  any  coldness 
of  constitution,  but  from  a  true  sense  of  honour 
and  decorum.  Anecdotes,  indeed,  have  been  told 
of  a  fair  quakeress,  who  shared  his  heart  and  bed  ; 

first  part  excited  grief,  and  put  all  the  tender  passions  into  mo- 
tion:  but  the  second  brought  life  and  spirit  with  it,  and  wiped 
the  tears  from  every  face.  Oh  !  how  graciously  did  the  provi- 
dence of  God  provide  for  a  successor  able  to  bear  the  weight 
of  government  in  that  unexpected  event. 

"  You,  sir,  are  the  person  whom  the  people  ardently  desire  : 
which  affection  of  theirs  is  happily  returned  by  your  Majesty's 
declared  concern  for  their  prosperity,  and  let  nothing  disturb 
this  mutual  consent.  Let  there  be  but  one  contest  between 
them — whether  the  King  loves  the  people  best,  or  the  people 
him :  and  may  it  be  a  long,  very  long,  contest; — may  it  never 
be  decided  ;  but  let  it  remain  doubtful :  and  may  the  paternal 
affection  on  the  one  side,  and  the  filial  affection  on  the  other, 
be  had  in  perpetual  remembrance. 

"  This  will  probably  be  the  last  time  I  shall  ever  trouble  your 
Majesty.  I  beg  leave  to  express  my  warmest  wishes  and  prayers 
on  your  behalf.  May  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth  have  you 
always  under  his  protection,  and  direct  you  to  seek  his  honour 
and  glory  in  all  you  do;  and  may  you  reap  the  beneht  of  it  by 
an  increase  of  happiness  in  this  world  and  in  the  next." 


1760.  ii is  court,  and   family.  211 

but  of  this  we  believe  that  there  is  no  positive 
certainty.  But  we  do  know  that  he  felt  a  very 
potent  partiality  for  the  loveliest  female  of  high 
rank  at  that  time  in  the  kingdom,  the  daughter  of 
a  ducal  family,  descended  from  royalty,  though 
with  the  bend  sinister,  (married  afterwards  to  a 
baronet  and  divorced)  yet  neither  did  he  attempt 
to  seduce  her,  nor  think  of  raising  her  to  the 
throne,  but  subdued  his  penchant  by  the  force  of 
good  sense,  and  a  due  regard  to  the  claims  of 
public  duty. 

The  chit-chat  of  the  day,  as  recorded  in  one  of 
Horace  Walpole's  letters,  will  be  the  best  picture 
of  his  Majesty's  conduct,  on  an  accession  of  power 
so  trying  to  a  youthful  mind. — He  says,  "  The 
new  reign  dates  with  great  propriety  and  de- 
cency ;  the  civilest  letter  to  Princess  Emily ;  the 
greatest  kindness  to  the  Duke ;  the  utmost  respect 
to  the  dead  body.  No  changes  to  be  made  but 
those  absolutely  necessary,  as  the  household,  &c. 
— and  what  some  will  think  the  most  unnecessary, 
in  the  representative  of  power."  He  adds,  "  there 
is  great  dignity  and  grace  in  the  King's  manner. 
I  don't  say  this,  like  my  dear  Madam  de  Sevigne, 
because  he  was  civil  to  me;  but  the  part  is  well 
acted."  "  The  young  King  has  all  the  appear- 
ance of  being  amiable.  There  is  great  grace  to 
temper  much  dignity,  and  good  nature  which 
breaks  out  on  all  occasions." 

p  2 


212  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G0. 

Some  changes  did  take  place,  however,  in  the 
household,  which  fell  heavy  upon  the  humbler 
ranks,  but  for  which  the  young  Monarch  ought 
not  to  have  been  personally  blamed,  his  attention 
being  necessarily  confined  to  the  higher  de- 
partments. 

On  this  subject  we  have  seen  a  whimsical  anec- 
dote which  states  that,  during  one  of  his  early 
walks  in  the  country  he  entered  a  cottage  where 
an  old  woman  was  busily  engaged  in  some  house- 
hold work,  with  whom  he  commenced  a  conver- 
sation ;  the  good  woman,  her  back  being  turned 
towards  him,  supposing  her  visitor  to  be  some 
servant  from  the  palace.  In  the  course  of  her 
chat,  she  complained  that  she  had  seen  better 
days  in  the  old  King's  time,  but  that  the  young 
King  had  turned  every  thing  topsy  turvy — adding 
"  I  suppose  you  are  turned  out  too." 

The  King  did  not  explain  ;  but  his  monitress 
was  immediately  reinstated. 

The  jealousy  of  Lord  Bute  began  to  shew  itself 
very  suddenly  in  the  city  ;  for  even  in  the  early 
part  of  November,  Walpole  tells  us,  "  The  city, 
however,  have  a  mind  to  be  out  of  humour ;  a 
paper  has  been  fixed  in  the  Royal  Exchange  with 
these  words — 'No petticoat  government,  no  Scotch 
minister,  no  Lord  George  Sackville' — two  hints 
totally  unfounded,  and  the  other  scarce  true.  No 
petticoat  ever  governed  less;  it  is  left  at  Leicester- 


1760.      HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         213 

house — for  the  King  himself,  he  seems  all  good 
nature,  and  wishing  to  satisfy  every  body ;  all  his 
speeches  are  obliging.  I  saw  him  on  the  throne, 
where  he  is  graceful  and  genteel;  sits  with  dignity, 
and  reads  his  answers  to  addresses  well."  Again, 
"  The  first  night  the  King  went  to  the  play,  which 
was  civilly  on  a  Friday,  not  on  the  opera  night  as 
he  used  to  do,  the  whole  audience  sang  '  God 
save  the  King'  in  chorus." 

Walpole  seems  fully  of  opinion  that  the  King's 
wish  was  to  join  all  parties  in  a  patriotic  love  of 
their  country;  but  he  observes,  "  it  is  unpardon- 
able to  put  an  end  to  all  faction,  when  it  is  not  for 
factious  purposes," — adding,  "  this  is  a  very  short 
letter :  I  fear  this  reign  will  soon  furnish  longer. 
When  the  last-  —could  be  beloved,  a  young  man 
with  a  good  heart  has  little  chance  of  being  so. 
Moreover,  I  have  a  maxim,  that  the  extinction  of 
party  is  the  origin  of  faction!" 

On  this  subject  also,  Mr.  Nichols  observes 
that  the  King's  attention  to  the  Tories  tended 
much  to  increase  his  popularity;  for  though, 
during  the  two  preceding  reigns,  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  nation  had  been  proscribed  under 
the  name  of  Tories,  on  the  principle  of  their 
being  attached  to  the  exiled  family,  which  was 
certainly  partly  true,  yet,  as  he  notices,  many 
had  been  included  under  that  title,  merely  from 
their  opposition  to  the  Walpole  and  Pelham  ad- 


214  GEOKGE    THE    THIRD,  1760. 

ministrations.  The  Pelham  party  certainly  were 
not  personal  favourites  of  the  youthful  Monarch ; 
indeed  the  writer  before  quoted,  expressly  says 
that  His  Majesty,  at  his  accession,  had  two  objects 
— the  first  to  descry  the  Pelham  faction ;  the  se- 
cond, to  put  an  end  to  the  war*.  Two  points  for 

*  Thus  entering  on  a  new  reign,  it  will  not  be  irrelevant  to 
take  some  notice  of  the  actual  state  of  the  empire  at  that  pe- 
riod, with  some,  necessary  anticipative,  comparison  ill  regard 
to  its  close.  On  this  subject  then  we  shall  offer  some  details 
from  a  judicious  writer  in  an  esteemed  periodical  work,  (New 
Monthly  Magazine  for  April  1820,  p.  389,)  considering  this 
place  more  free  for  such  a  recapitulation  than  its  close,  where 
all  feeling  turns  more  on  the  public  loss  of  a  revered  monarch, 
than  on  the  glories  of  his  reign. 

It  may  then  be  premised,  that  according  to  the  best  authori- 
ties which  can  be  obtained,  the  population  of  Britain  in  the 
year  1760,  was  not  more  than  8,000,000:  in  1811  (the  last 
census,)  it  was  12,353,000:  to  which  must  be  added  the  po- 
pulation of  Ireland,  taken  at  above  4,000,000,  with  the  absen- 
tees from  Britain  in  our  various  colonies  and  dependencies, 
making  a  total  of  eighteen  millions  :  and  forming,  with  the 
natives  of  those  distant  dependencies,  a  grand  total  of  more 
than  sixty  millions  of  souls,  who  at  this  moment  avow  alle- 
giance to  the  British  crown. 

More  striking  demonstration  of  the  power  and  population  of 
any  people  could  not  be  given,  than  was  rendered  evident  by 
facts  a  few  years  back,  when  the  public  mind  was  impressed 
with  a  serious  sense  of  danger.  It  is  true  there  was  no  such 
occasion  in  the  year  1760,  or,  indeed,  at  any  other  time,  to  call 
out  such  formidable  hosts  with  a  view  to  deter  an  enemy.  The 
boasts  of  France  in  the  war  of  1756,  to  invade  England,  we- 
beneath  contempt;  especially  when  placed  in  comparison  with 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  215 

which  he  was  more  abused  than  for  any  other  act 
of  his  life,  and  leading  in  some  measure  to  the 
affair  of  Wilkes — and  perhaps  of  Junius  also. 

1761. 
That  the  King  should  have  felt  a  partiality  for 
Lady  Sarah  L is  not  extraordinary,  if  she 

the  threats  of  the  Imperial  Napoleon.  What  other  country}  of 
no  greater  extent,  could  exhibit  a  force  of  more  than  a  million 
of  men  in  arms. 

The  Military  Force  of  Britain  was  in  1812 — 


British  Army         - 

30), 000 

Local  Militia  in  Britain 

196,446 

Volunteers  in  Britain      - 

88,000 

Militia  and  Yeomanry  in  Ireland     - 

80,000 

in  the  Colonies 

25,000 

Foreign  Corps  in  British  service 

30,741 

721,187 

Naval  Forces. — Navy 

147,252 

Marines 

32,668 

■ 

901,007 

East  Indies. — British  Forces 

20,000 

Native  Troops 

140,000 

Marine      - 

913 

1,061,920 

The  comparison  between  the  Royal  Navy  of  1760  and  that 
existing  during  the  late  war,  is  equally  to  the  advantage  of  the 
latter  :  it  is  enough  to  say,  under  this  article,  that  the  British 
navy  proved  itself  more  than  a  match  for  the  whcde  maritime 
force   of   Europe.     It  destroyed,   or  blockaded,   the   fleets  of 


216  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

really  was  so  lovely  as  described  by  Walpole  in 
one  of  his  letters. — "  I  was  exceedingly  amused 
on  Tuesday  night  (in  January,  1761) :  there  was  a 

France,  Holland,  Denmark,  and  Spain  ;  and  when  Russia  for  a 
while  assumed  the  character  of  an  enemy,  it  met  the  fleet  of 
Russia,  also,  with  alacrity  and  success.  The  average  number 
of  ships  during  the  war  was  about  equal  to  the  following  state- 
ment, which  is  founded  on  a  report  towards  the  conclusion  of 
hostilities : 

At  sea,  ships  of  the  line         ....  99 

Fifties,  &c.  not  reckoned  of  the  line      -         -  14 

Frigates  of  various  sizes         -        -         -         -  133 

Sloops,  and  lesser  vessels      -         -         -         -  144 

Bombs          -._____  6 

Brigs,  &c. 139 

Cutters        -         - 33 

Schooners,  &c.     --„-.-  66 

Making  a  total,  at  sea,  of  more  than  six  hundred  vessels  j 
which,  those  in  ordinary,  building,  repairing,  &c.  raised  to  a 
grand  total  of  more  than  eleven  hundred.  To  man  this  navy 
required  a  force  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand 
seamen  and  marines ;  whereas,  in  the  war  which  raged  when 
his  Majesty  came  to  the  throne,  seventy  or  seventy-five  thou- 
sand was  thought  to  be  the  utmost  that  the  nation  could  furnish. 
That  the  Mercantile  Navy  of  Britain  has  increased  in  a 
wonderful  ratio,  needs  no  other  proof  than  the  necessity  felt 
by  our  merchants  for  enlarging  the  principal  ports  of  the 
kingdom,  by  means  of  extensive  docks,  and  other  accommoda- 
tions— as  at  Hull,  Liverpool,  London,  and  elsewhere.  These  were 
found  to  be  absolutely  indispensable,  as  well  by  the  West  India 
trade  as  by  the  East  India  trade  :  and,  in  fact,  they  were  iw3 '.,- 
pensable  for  the  reception  of  vessels  from  every  quarter  of  the 
globe.     In  1760,  the  amount  of  British  shipping  was  471,24-1 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILV.  217 

play  at  Holland-house,  acted  by  children  ;  not  all 

children,  for  Lady  Sarah  L and  Lady  Susan 

Strangeways  played  the  women.      It   was  Jane 

tons;  in  1812,  it  is  stated  at  2,163,094  tons;  to  which  add  the 
shipping  of  Ireland,  about  250,000  tons  :  the  whole  valued  at 
not  less  than  twenty-seven  millions  sterling! 

But,  not  to  extend  this  article  be\ond  its  due  limits,  we  in- 
sert a  table  of  our  National  Finances,  as  they  stood  in  1815  : 
in  which  the  reader  will  easily  distinguish  the  products  of  the 
different  departments,  when  in  full  action  : 

Customs.  5ih  Jan.  1815. 

Consolidated  Customs  -         -        -         4,938,299 

Annual  Duties 2,618,001 

War  Taxes  -  -         3,503,024 


Total  Customs  ....         11,059,324 


Excise. 

Consolidated  Excise             -          -  18,311,172 

Annual  Duties             -  479,898 

War  Taxes 6,354,541 


Total  Excise  -         -         25,145,611 


Stamps               5,598,573 

Post  Office 1,450,000 

Assessed  Taxes           -         -,                 -  6,411,671 

Property  Tax              ....  14,218,333 

Land  Taxes 1,129,223 

Miscellaneous            417,246 


29,225,046 


Total  Net  Revenue      -         65,429,981 


218  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

Shore:  Charles  Fox  was  Hastings;  the  two  girls 
were  delightful,  and  acted  with  so  much  nature 
and  simplicity,  that  they  appeared  the  very  things 
they  represented.  Lady  Sarah  was  more  beauti- 
ful than  you  can  conceive,  and  her  very  awkward- 
ness gave  an  air  of  truth  to  the  sham  of  the  part, 
and  the  antiquity  of  the  time,  which  was  kept  up 
by  her  dress  taken  out  of  Montfaucon.  Lady 
Susan  was  dressed  from  Jane  Seymour.  I  was 
infinitely  more  struck  with  the  last  scene  between 
the  two  women,  than  ever  1  was  when  I  have  seen 
it  on  the  stage.  When  Lady  Sarah  was  in  white, 
with  her  hair  about  her  ears,  and  on  the  ground, 
no  Magdalen  by  Corregio  was  half  so  lovely  and 
expressive." 

Whatever  rational  objections  may  and  do  exist 
against  private  theatricals,  it  is  not  unfair  to  sup- 
pose that  the  practice  at  that  period  may  have 
had  some  effect  in  preparing  public  speakers  for 
the  grand  national  Theatre  of  oratory. 

Indeed  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  his  Majesty's 
style  of  speaking  at  this  period  owed  much  to  the 
histrionic  lessons  of  Quin  in  boyhood,  as  already 

We  do  not  ask,  What  nation  in  the  world,  beside  B»-\ain, 
could  have  supported  such  demands  on  its  products  and  com- 
merce, year  after  year  ;  but,  we  ask,  whether  in  the  year  1760 
't  would  have  been  thought  possible  that  the  nation  could  have 
endured  burdens  so  heavy  ?  Had  the  ablest  financiers  of  that 
day  the  smallest  conception  of  such  an  extensive  revenue? 


170 J.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  219 

recorded;  for  it  was  said  of  him,  both  then  and 
afterwards,  that  he  recited  a  speech,  or  delivered 
an  oration,  with  more  true  modulation  and  elo- 
quence than  most  men  in  his  dominions ;  so  that 
his  speeches  from  the  throne  to  the  two  Houses  of 
Parliament  were  always  considered  as  specimens 
of  beautiful  elocution.  This  was  the  more  re- 
markable from  the  well  remembered,  and  often 
noticed  fact,  that  in  common  conversation  he 
spoke  with  a  rapidity  which  sometimes  made  him 
unintelligible  to  those  who  were  not  familiarized 
to  his  peculiar  mode  of  expression. 

It  appears,  however,  that  the  King  did  not  set 
any  very  high  value  upon  oratory ;  at  least  he 
once  observed  to  an  eminent  literary  character, 
eminent  also  as  a  politician,  that  he  considered 
it  as  carried  to  a  height  far  beyond  its  real  use, 
hinting  his  fear  that  the  desire  of  excelling  in  this 
accomplishment  made  many  young  men  of  genius 
neglect  more  solid  branches  of  knowledge. — "  I 
am  sure,"  added  he,  "  that  the  rage  for  public 
speaking,  and  the  extravagant  length  to  which 
some  of  our  most  popular  orators  carry  their  ha- 
rangues in  parliament,  is  very  detrimental  to  the 
national  business,  and  I  wish  that  it  may  not,  in 
the  end,  prove  injurious  to  the  public  peace  !" 

His  Majesty's  opinion  on  pulpit  oratory  was 
equally  decided,  for  one  of  the  first  acts  performed 
by  the  young  Monarch  after  his  accession  to  the 


220  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

throne,  was  to  issue  an  order  prohibiting  any  of  the 
clergy,  who  should  be  called  to  preach  before  him, 
from  paying  him  any  compliment  in  their  dis- 
courses. His  Majesty  was  led  to  this  from  the 
fulsome  adulation  which  Dr.  Thomas  Wilson, 
prebendary  of  Westminster,  thought  proper  to 
deliver  in  the  Chapel  Royal,  and  for  which,  in- 
stead of  thanks,  he  received  from  his  royal  auditor 
so  pointed  a  reprimand  that  the  reverend  orator 
from  that  moment  became  a  flaming  patriot. 

In  fact  he  the  next  day  sent  a  message  to  that 
clergyman  which  should  be  written  in  letters  of 
gold,  as  a  lesson  for  Kings  as  well  as  clergy  ;  ap- 
prising him,  that  "  he  went  to  church  to  hear  God 
praised,  and  not  himself,"  and  desiring  him  to  for- 
bear in  future  from  such  improper  topics. 

The  doctor  took  part  with  John  Wilkes,  was 
made  liveryman  of  the  joiners'  company,  and  la 
vished  large  sums  upon  Catherine  Macaulay,  the 
republican  historian,  in  whose  honour  he  was  silly 
enough  to  cause  a  marble  monument  to  be  erected 
in  his  church  at  Walbrook,  though  before  he  died 
he  caused  it  to  be  removed,  not  indeed  so  much 
from  a  sense  of  the  impropriety  of  the  thing,  as 
out  of  resentment  to  the  lady,  who  had  displeased 
him  by  her  marriage. 

Connected  with  these  facts  seems  the  following; 
announcement  as  early  as  1761. 

"  Oxford,  July  11.    The  subjects  appointed  for 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  221 

the  current  year,  for  two  orations  to  be  spoken  in 
the  Theatre  for  the  prizes  given  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Thomas  Wilson,  prebendary  of  Westminster,  are, 
for  the  Latin  oration,  '  Salus  populi,  suprema 
lex.'  For  the  English  oration,  '  Advantages  of 
a  safe,  honourable,  and  lasting  peace.'" 

As  the  law  then  stood,  the  parliament  continued 
its  functions  for  six  months  after  the  royal  demise, 
and  its  conclusion  was  marked  by  several  impor- 
tant acts,  especially  that  by  which  his  Majesty 
accepted  800,000/.  per  annum,  to  be  paid  out  of 
the  aggregate  fund  in  lieu  of  the  uncertain  funds 
which  then  were  answerable  for  the  civil  list ;  a 
bargain  by  which  the  nation  has  not  lost,  though 
the  crown  has  been  benefited. 

The  King  also  rendered  himself  highly  popular 
by  his  patriotic  and  constitutional  conduct  re- 
specting the  Judges,  who,  though  they  held  their 
places  during  good  behaviour,  by  an  act  soon  after 
the  Revolution,  yet  that  only  extended  to  the  life 
of  the  Monarch  who  signed  the  commissions.  But 
his  Majesty  not  only  renewed  their  judicial  patents 
as  they  stood  at  the  royal  demise,  but  also  on  the 
3d  of  March  went  down  to  the  Parliament,  and  in 
a  most  gracious  speech  recommended  a  law  for 
making  those  commissions  perpetual  during  life 
and  good  behaviour,  notwithstanding  any  demise 
of  the  crown;  a  measure  which  gave  great  satis- 
faction, not  only  to  both  Houses  of  the  legislature, 


222  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

but  to  the  nation  at  large,  who  were  not  indifferent 
to  the  fact,  that  the  power  to  remove  a  judge 
remaining  as  a  prerogative  to  the  crown  was 
detrimental  to  the  complete  independence  of  the 
judicial  office. 

On  the  ensuing  day  the  whole  ermined  bench 
waited  upon  his  Majesty  to  return  thanks,  and 
were  most  graciously  received;  and  the  House 
of  Commons  having  passed  some  declaratory  re- 
solution, the  necessary  steps  were  immediately 
taken  to  pass  them  into  a  law. 

The  parliament  was  dissolved  on  the  19th  of 
March,  and  writs  soon  after  issued  for  the  new 
elections;  on  which  occasion  the  patriotic  Mon- 
arch took  an  early  opportunity  of  informing  all 
his  ministers  that  no  money  should  be  spent  to 
procure  the  election  of  members  favourable  to  the 
government,  saying  at  the  same  time,  that  "  he 
would  be  tried  by  his  country."  This  gave  occa- 
sion to  the  following  lines  : 

Tried  by  your  country  !  to  your  people's  love, 

Amiable  prince,  so  soon  appeal; 
Stay  till  the  tender  sentiments  improve, 

Ripening  to  gratitude  from  zeal. 
Years  hence  (yet,  ah!  too  soon)  shall  Britain  see, 

The  trial  of  thy  virtue  past, 
Who  could  foretel  that  your  first  wish  would  be 

What  all  believe  will  be  your  last  ? 

In  the   mean   time  some   changes  took  place 
in  the  cabinet.    Viscount  Barrington  succeeded 


1761.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         223 

Mr.  Legge,  as  chancellor  of  the  exchequer ;  and 
Lord  Holdernesse  resigning  the  secretaryship,, 
that  office  was  conferred  upon  Lord  Bute,  who 
hitherto  had  been  groom  of  the  stole. 

In  addition  to  his  political  influence,  this  noble- 
man wished  to  be  considered  as  a  patron  of  letters. 
His  partiality  to  his  countrymen  counteracted  the 
good  effect  of  his  intentions.  His  plan  of  engaging 
the  Antiquarian  Society  to  undertake  a  regular 
and  complete  series  of  the  antiquities  of  this 
kingdom,  in  the  same  manner  as  Father  Montfau- 
con  treated  "  Les  Antiquites  de  la  Monarchic 
Francoise,"  was  excellent,  and,  had  he  continued 
prime  minister,  would  perhaps  have  been  adopted. 
The  following  letter  of  Lord  Bute  to  Lord  Mel- 
combe,  will  shew  with  what  zeal  he  patronized 
the  late  ingenious  Mr.  Bentley,  son  of  the  great 
critical  scholar  of  his  name  : — 

"  My  dear  lord, — Instead  of  writing  to  Mr. 
Bentley,  you  will  permit  me  to  address  myself 
to  your  lordship.  You  can  best  inform  him  how 
I  came  by  the  ingenious  performance  I  ventured 
to  amuse  his  Majesty  with.  Take  the  trouble  of 
adding  to  that  account  the  approbation  it  has  met 
with,  and  convey  to  the  author  the  royal  tribute 
due  to  merit,  the  trifle  here  enclosed. 

"  Permit  me  to  assure  your  lordship,  from  my 
knowledge  of  our  young  Sovereign,  that  rewards 


224  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

in  his  reign  will  never  be  wanting,  provided  proper 
subjects  occur  worthy  the  King's  protection;  above 
all,  such  as  are  bold  enough  to  take  the  part  of 
virtue,  and  force  delicacy  upon  the  stage,  in  spite 
of  the  barbarous  scenes  of  our  unpolished  ances- 
tors, that  to  the  shame  of  their  progeny  continue 
still  to  please.     Farewell,  my  dear  lord. 

"  Believe  me  ever  most  sincerely  yours,  &c. 

"  Bute. 
"  May  28,   1761." 

This  opinion  respecting  the  King's  intentions 
was  certainly  not  premature ;  besides  which  we 
have  a  contemporary  instance  of  the  interest  which 
he  also  took  in  the  advancement  of  English  litera- 
ture, recorded  in  a  letter  from  Lord  Cathcart  to 
the  historic  Dr.  Robertson,  dated  in  July  of  this 
year,  in  which  that  nobleman  says,  "  Lord  Bute 
told  me  the  King's  thoughts,  as  well  as  his  own, 
with  respect  to  your  History  of  Scotland,  and  a 
wish  his  Majesty  had  expressed  to  see  a  history 
of  England  from  your  pen.  His  Lordship  assured 
me,  every  source  of  information,  which  govern- 
ment can  command,  would  be  opened  to  you  :  and 
that  great,  laborious,  and  extensive  as  the  work 
must  be,  he  would  take  care  that  your  encourage- 
ment should  be  proportioned  to  it." 

But  his  Majesty's  thoughts  were  not  turned  to 
literature  alone :  he  felt  anxious  for  the  tranquillity 


1761.  HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  225 

and  happiness  of  mankind ;  and  early  in  this 
auspicious  year  the  overtures  for  peace,  began 
and  broken  off  in  1759,  were  now  made  with  sin- 
cerity by  the  French  court,  though  not  concluded 
until  1763.  For  this  purpose  Augsburg  in  Ger- 
many was  chosen  as  the  seat  of  a  general  con- 
gress, with  separate  negotiations  at  Paris  and 
London.  The  King,  however,  judged  very  wisely 
that  to  ensure  a  peace  it  was  necessary  to  carry 
on  the  war;  and  he  therefore  joined  heartily  with 
the  cabinet,  in  urging  it  with  the  greatest  vigour, 
in  which  his  favourite  brother,  the  Duke  of  York, 
zealously  joined  as  a  naval  officer,  distinguishing 
himself  on  several  occasions  *. 

*  A  handsome  and  loyal  compliment  was  paid  to  the  King 
himself,  by  a  civic  compliment  to  his  Royal  Highness. 

July  15. — This  day  the  Right  Hon.  the  Lord  Mayor  and 
Committee  of  Common-council,  followed  bjr  the  Committee  of 
the  Grocers'  Company,  went  to  Saville-house,  by  appointment 
of  his  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  York,  to  present  him  with 
the  freedom  of  this  City  and  of  that  Company:  Upon  which 
the  Lord  Mayor  and  Committee  of  Common-council  were  intro- 
duced by  Major  St.  John,  when  Sir  William  Moreton,  the  re- 
corder, paid  their  compliments  in  the  following  speech  : — 

"  May  it  please  your  Royal  Highness, 
"  The  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commons  of  the  City  of 
London,  in  Common-council  assembled,  in  testimony  of  their 
dutiful  affection  for  their  illustrious  Sovereign  (whose  peculiar 
glory  it  is  to  reign  over  a  free,  happy,  and  united  people),  and 
as  a  pledge  of  the  grateful  respect  they  bear  your  Royal  High- 
ness, for  your  early  entrance  into  the  naval  service  of  your  King 
VOL.    I.  Q, 


22G  GEORGE    THE   THIRD,  17C1. 

The  King's  wish  to  establish  his  own  domes- 
tic happiness  was  now  of  course  intimately  con- 
nected with  securing  for  the  empire  the  blessing 
of  a  protestant  succession.  The  latter  was  also 
an  anxious  wish  of  the  people,  and  numbers, 
even  unauthorised,  were  occupied  in  research 
after  a  lady  really  worthy  the  heart  and  hand  of 
a  monarch,  who  appeared  endowed  with  every 
requisite  that  might  promise  felicity  to  the  dis- 
tinguished object  of  his  choice,  especially  if  one 
could  be  found  with  personal  attractions  sufficient 
to  win  his  love,  and  amiability  to  retain  it. 

and  country,  the  noblest  and  most  effectual  encouragement  to 
that  natural  and  favourite  bulwark  of  the  wealth,  reputation, 
and  independence  of  this  commercial  nation,  have  unanimously 
resolved,  that  your  Royal  Highness  be  humbly  requested  to 
honour  this  city  by  your  acceptance  of  its  freedom." 

Whereupon  the  Comptroller  of  the  City  (the  Chamberlain 
being  confined  with  the  gout)  presented  the  freedom  in  a  gold 
box  to  his  Royal  Highness,  who,  upon  receiving  the  same, 
spoke  as  follows: — 

"  My  Lord  and  Gentlemen, 

"  It  is  with  pleasure  I  receive  this  compliment  from  the  Lord 
Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Common-council  of  London,  as  a  fresh 
instance  of  their  duty  to  the  King,  and  as  a  distinguishing 
mark  of  their  attention  to  me.  I  shall  think  myself  happy  in 
any  opportunity  of  shewing  my  regard  to  the  City  of  London, 
and  in  promoting  its  trade  and  prosperity;  and  I  shall  always 
exert  my  best  endeavours  in  that  profession  to  which  I  belong, 
and  which  is  so  essentially  connected  with  the  reputation  and 
independence  of  this  commercial  country." 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  227 

With  this  object  in  view,  speculators  were  on 
the  look-out  for  some  bud  of  beauty,  as  the  princi- 
pal requisite,  paying  little  attention  to  the  mental 
qualities  ;  but  his  Majesty  had  very  different  ideas 
upon  the  subject,  his  good  sense  and  penetration 
pointing  out  the  mind  of  his  future  Queen  as  the 
one  thing  needful. 

It  was  thus  that  his  choice  was  suddenly  fixed, 
on  the  perusal  of  the  well-known  epistle  from  the 
young  Princess  of  Mecklenburg  Strelitz*,  written 
to   the  King  of  Prussia,  in  consequence  of  his 

They  were  received  in  a  polite,  obliging  manner,  and  all 
had  the  honour  to  kiss  his  Royal  Highness's  hand. 

The  freedom  of  the  City  of  London  was  finely  wrote  on 
vellum  by  Mr.  Champion,  enriched  with  several  emblematical 
figures  on  the  margin  thereof,  with  the  arms  of  the  City  of 
London  emblazoned  on  the  top,  these  of  the  Chamberlain  on 
the  left,  and  the  City  seal  affixed  to  the  bottom. 

The  gold  box  in  which  it  was  enclosed,  was  of  very  fine 
workmanship,  and  the  lid  of  it  richly  chased  ;  the  following  is 
a  description  of  the  device  thereof: — 

His  Royal  Highness  emblematically  represented  in  the  cha- 
racter of  a  Roman  admiral  sitting  on  a  pile  of  naval  stores,  with 
a  rising  sun  behind  the  City,  which  presented  him  a  freedom; 
two  figures  representing  Religion  and  Liberty  in  union,  and 
Mercury  as  Deity  of  commerce  by  their  side;  a  view  of  the 
sea,  and  Neptune  triumphant,  with  the  British  cross  at  his  tri- 
dent, and  the  Temple  of  Fame  on  a  rock  at  a  distance  ;  and 
the  whole  encompassed  with  a  fishing-net,  interwoven  about 
the  mouldings. 

*  Sophia  Charlotte  was  the  youngest  of  the  two  daughters 
of  Charles    Lewis,  Duke  of  Mirow,  b}r    Albertine-Elizabeth, 

Q  2 


228  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  170 

troops  having  taken  military  occupation  of  her 
brother's  dominions,  where  they  acted  as  if  in 
the  country  of  an  enemy. 

daughter  of  Ernest  Frederick,  Duke  of  Saxe  Hildburghausen. 
This  prince,  Charles  Lewis,  being  the  second  son  of  the  Duke 
of  Mecklenburg  Strelitz,  entered  into  the  imperial   service  at 
an  early  age,  and  by  his  noble  conduct  soon  attained  the  rank 
of  Lieutenant-general.     On   his  marriage  he  went  to  settle  at 
Mirow,  where  all  his  children,   consisting  of  four  sons  and  two 
daughters,  were  born.     He  died  in  1751,  the  very  year  that  his 
late    Majesty  lost  his  father ;  and  a    few    months    afterwards, 
Adolphus  Frederick,  the  third  Duke  of  Mecklenburg  Strelitz, 
departed  this  life,  when  that  title  devolved  upon  the  eldest  son 
of  Prince  Charles  Lewis,  who,  with  his  mother  and  all  the  fa- 
mily, removed  in  consequence  from  Mirow  to  Strelitz.     Here 
the  Princess  Charlotte,  then  seven  years  old,  received  her  edu- 
cation, under  the  direction  of  Madame  de  Grabow,  a  lady  of 
high  endowments  and  noble  family,  who,  on  account  of  her 
lyrical  compositions,  obtained  the  title  of  the  German  Sappho. 

Besides  Madame  de  Grabow,  other  persons  of  the  first  talent 
were  employed  in  the  instruction  of  her  Serene  Highness,  who 
was  the  delight  of  the  whole  family  for  the  sweetness  of  her 
temper,  and  the  quickness  of  her  genius.  The  principal  of 
these  tutors,  Dr.  Genzmer,  a  Lutheran  divine  of  considerable 
learning,  and  particularly  distinguished  for  his  extensive  know- 
ledge in  Natural  History,  was  called  from  Stargard  to  Strelitz, 
where  he  resided  at  the  palace,  till  the  marriage  of  the  Princess 
rendered  his  presence  there  no  longer  necessary.  Under  his 
instructions  the  Princess  made  a  great  progress  in  every  polite 
and  useful  branch  of  knowledge.  She  acquired  a  thorough 
acquaintance  with  the  French  and  Italian  languages;  while  her 
own  she  wrote  not  only  correctly,  but  elegantly'.  Of  this,  in- 
deed, no  stronger  proof  could  be  given  than  the  letter  which 


17G1.  HLS    COURT,     AND     FAMILY.  229 

This  letter  Frederick,  it  is  said,  sent  over  to 
the  youthful  Monarch,  who  no  sooner  perused  it, 
than  he  exclaimed  to   Lord  Hertford,  "  This  is 

she  sent  to  the  great  Frederick  of  Prussia,  congratulating  him 
on  his  victory  at  Torgau,  over  Marshal  Daun,  November  .'3, 
1760,  when  she  was  (not,  as  some  of  the  journalists  have  said, 
thirteen  years,  but)  sixteen  years  and  a  half  old.  This  pathetic 
letter,  in  which  she  painted  in  glowing  colours  the  distressed 
state  of  Mecklenburg  through  the  ravages  of  the  war,  was  to 
the  following  effect : 

"  May  it  please  your  Majesty, 

'*  I  am  at  a  loss  whether  I  should  congratulate  or  condole 
with  you  on  your  late  victory,  since  the  same  success,  which 
has  covered  you  with  laurels,  has  overspread  the  country  of 
Mecklenburg  with  desolation.  I  know,  Sire,  that  it  seems  un- 
becoming my  sex,  in  this  age  of  vicious  refinement,  to  feel  for 
one's  country,  to  lament  the  horrors  of  war,  or  wish  for  the 
return  of  peace.  I  know  you  may  think  it  more  properly  my 
province  to  study  the  arts  of  pleasing,  or  to  inspect  subjects  of 
a  more  domestic  nature;  but,  however  unbecoming  it  may  be 
in  me,  I  cannot  resist  the  desire  of  interceding  for  this  un- 
happy people. 

"  It  was  but  a  very  few  years  ago  that  this  territory  wore  the 
most  pleasing  appearance;  the  country  was  cultivated,  the  pea- 
sants looked  cheerful,  and  the  towns  abounded  with  riches  and 
festivity.  What  an  alteration  at  present  from  such  a  charming 
scene  !  I  am  not  expert  at  description,  nor  can  my  fancy  add 
any  horrors  to  the  picture  ;  but,  sure,  even  conquerors  them- 
selves would  weep  at  the  hideous  prospects  now  before  me  : 
the  whole  country,  my  dear  country,  lies  one  frightful  waste, 
presenting  only  objects  to  excite  terror,  pity,  and  despair  :  the 
business  of  the  husbandman  and  the  shepherd  are  epiite  discon- 
tinued ;  the  husbandman  and  the  shepherd  are  become  soldiers 


230  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

the  lady  whom  I  shall  select  for  my  consort — 
here  are  lasting  beauties — the  man  who  has  any 
mind  may  feast  and  not  be  satiated.  If  the  dis- 
position of  the  Princess  but  equals  her  refined 
sense,  I  shall  be  the  happiest  man,  as  I  hope, 
with  my  people's  concurrence,  to  be  the  greatest 
Monarch,  in  Europe!" 

It  must  be  confessed  that  various  contradictory 
accounts  have  been  given  of  the  transactions  of 
this  period.  It  is  well  known  that  a  match  had 
been  already  under  consideration  in  the  time  of 
George  II.  who  wished  very  much  to  unite  his 
grandson  to  a  niece  of  the  Prussian  monarch,  by 
whom  that  overture  was  most  cheerfully  received. 
The  Princess  Dowager  of  Wales,  however,  was 
extremely  averse  to  the  connexion,  and  the  Prince 

themselves,  and  help  to  ravage  the  soil  they  formerly  cultivated. 
The  towns  are  inhabited  only  by  old  men,  women,  and  children ; 
perhaps  here  and  there  a  warrior,  by  wounds  or  loss  of  limbs 
rendered  unfit  for  service,  left  at  his  door ;  his  little  children 
hang  round  him,  ask  an  history  of  every  wound,  and  grow 
themselves  soldiers,  before  they  find  strength  for  the  field.  But 
this  were  nothing,  did  we  not  feel  the  alternate  insolence  of 
either  army,  as  it  happens  to  advance  or  retreat,  in  pursuing 
the  operations  of  the  campaign  :  it  is  impossible  to  express  the 
confusion  even  those  who  call  themselves  our  friends  create; 
even  those,  from  whom  we  might  expect  redress,  oppress  with 
new  calamities.  From  your  justice,  therefore,  it  is  that  we 
hope  relief;  to  you  even  children  and  women  may  complain, 
whose  humanity  stoops  to  the  meanest  petition,  and  whose 
power  is  capable  of  repressing  the  greatest  injustice." 


1761.  HIS    COUItT,    AND    FAMILY.  231 

incurred  his  grandfather's  displeasure  for  giving  a 
flat  denial  to  the  proposal.  In  reference  also  to  a 
subject  already  noticed,  we  are  told  by  the  pub- 
lic and  private  records  of  the  times,  that  a  suit- 
able marriage  for  his  Majesty  was  an  urgent  (as 
it  was  a  natural)  object  of  state  policy  immediately 
on  his  coming  to  the  crown  ;  but  his  known  and 
ardent  attachment  to  Lady  Sarah  L:  with  some 
manoeuvres  of  Mr.  Fox,  afterwards  Lord  Holland, 
set  on  foot  to  foment  that  youthful  pas'sion,  has- 
tened the  designs  of  the  Princess  Dowager  of 
Wales  and  of  the  Earl  of  Bute  to  bring  about  the 
royal  marriage.  The  Princess  is  said  to  have  had 
in  view  a  niece  of  her  own,  at  least  some  Princess 
of  the  Saxe-Gotha  family :  but  as  the  House  of 
Saxe-Gotha  was  supposed  to  be  afflicted  with  a 
constitutional  disease,  that  wish  was  over-ruled 
by  the  cabinet.  Lord  Bute  then  sent  a  confiden- 
tial dependant,  a  Scotch  officer,  reported  to  be 
colonel  Graeme,  (who  was  afterwards  appointed  to 
be  master  of  St.  Catherine's  near  the  Tower,  an 
excellent  place,  in  the  peculiar  gift  of  her  Majesty,) 
to  visit  the  inferior  German  courts,  and  to  select 
from  amongst  them  a  future  Queen  for  England. 
The  instructions  were  said  to  be,  that  she  should 
be  perfect  in  her  form,  of  pure  blood  and  healthy 
constitution,  possessed  of  elegant  accomplish- 
ments,   particularly    music,    to  which  the  King 


232  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1761 


was  very  much  attached,  and  of  a  mild  and 
obliging  disposition. 

Colonel  Graeme  found  the  Princess  Dowager  of 
Strelitz  taking  the  waters  at  Pyrmont,  and  accom- 
panied by  her  two  daughters,  with  little  or  no 
appearance  of  parade ;  and  where,  from  the  free- 
dom of  communication  usual  at  those  places,  and 
the  ready  means  of  observation,  it  was  no  difficult 
matter  to  become  fully  acquainted  with  their  cha- 
racters and  daily  habits.  Their  Serene  Highnesses 
frequented  the  rooms,  the  walks,  and  partook  of 
the  amusements,  without  any  distinction  that 
should  prevent  colonel  Graeme  from  being  an  un- 
suspected attendant  on  their  parties.  In  short, 
after  all  due  communications  and  inquiries,  the 
Princess  Charlotte  of  Strelitz  was  chosen  to  be 
the  consort  of  George  III. 

Other  accounts  state  that  the  Princess  Dowager 
had  no  other  fears  than  those  arising  from  a  Prus- 
sian alliance,  which  was  her  abhorrence.  When, 
therefore,  she  read  the  letter  of  the  Princess  of 
Mecklenburg,  (copies  of  which  were  circulated 
in  Germany,)  she  made  inquiries  into  the  character 
of  that  family,  and  at  the  same  time  put  the  letter 
into  the  hands  of  her  son,  who  was  so  struck  with 
it  as  to  tell  Lord  Harcourt  "  that  he  had  now 
found  such  a  partner  as  he  hoped  to  be  happy 
with  for  life." 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  233 

Without  attempting  therefore  to  reconcile  these 
contradictions,  we  shall  proceed  to  record  that  the 
King  for  some  time  preserved  a  decorous  silence 
in  his  intentions  until  the  summer  of  the  year, 
when  he  summoned  a  council  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  announcing  his  determination  on  the  sub- 
ject; then  he  informed  them  "that  having  nothing 
so  much  at  heart  as  the  welfare  and  happiness  of 
his  people,  and  that,  to  render  the  same  stable  and 
permanent  to  posterity,  being  the  first  object  of 
his  reign,  he  hac1,  ever  since  his  accession  to  the 
throne,  turned  his  thoughts  to  the  choice  of  a 
princess,  witr  whom  he  might  find  the  solace  of 
matrimony,  and  the  comforts  of  domestic  life :  he 
had  to  announce  to  them,  therefore,  with  great 
satisfaction,  that,  after  the  most  mature  reflection 
and  fullest  information,  he  had  come  to  a  resolu- 
tion to  demand  in  marriage  the  Princess  Charlotte 
of  Mecklenburg  Strelitz,  a  princess  distinguished 
by  every  amiable  virtue  and  elegant  endowment, 
whose  illustrious  line  had  constantly  shewn  the 
firmest  zeal  for  the  protestant  religion,  and  a  par- 
ticular attachment  to  his  Majesty's  family." 

Such  were  the  terms,  in  which  his  Majesty  an- 
nounced his  royal  intention  to  his  council  on  the 
8th  of  July,  1761,  which  was  followed  up  by  an- 
other important  announcement  on  the  1 5th  of  the 
month,  on  which  day  a  proclamation  was  pub-; 
lished  at  Westminster,  Temple-bar,  and  the  Royal 


234  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,        1761. 

Exchange,   that  the  King's  coronation  would  be 
solemnized  the  22d  of  September. 

The  negotiation  commenced  at  Strelitz,  and  the 
Earl  of  Harcourt,  his  Majesty's  Ambassador  ex- 
traordinary and  plenipotentiary,  concluded  the 
treaty  of  marriage  on  the  15th  of  August  follow- 
ing. Preparations  were  immediately  made  for  the 
reception  of  the  royal  Bride  in  England. 

Earl  Harcourt,  with  the  Duchesses  of  Ancaster 
and  Hamilton,  the  two  finest  women  of  the  British 
Court,  were  sent  to  conduct  her  thither;  and 
Lord  Anson  was  appointed  to  command  the  fleet 
of  convoy  on  this  important  occasion. 

Her  Majesty  rested  one  night,  that  of  her  ar- 
rival, upon  her  journey,  at  the  house  of  the  Earl 
of  Abercorn,  at  Witham,  in  Essex,  from  whence 
she  set  out  early  the  next  morning,  and  arrived  at 
the  Palace  of  St.  James's,  where  she  was  received 
by  his  Majesty  and  the  rest  of  the  Royal  Family. 
At  nine  o'clock  upon  the  same  evening,  the  7th  of. 
September,  the  marriage  ceremony  was  solem- 
nized by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  the 
Royal  Chapel,  under  circumstances  of  appropriate 
splendour  and  respect.  We  shall  remark  it,  en  pass- 
ant, as  a  whimsical  circumstance,  that  Lady  Sarah 
Lenox  was  among  her  Majesty's  bride's-maids.* 

*  Early  preparations  were  made,  and  Lord  Harcourt  arrived 
at  Streiitz  on  the  14-th  of  August,  in  quality  of  plenipoten- 
tiary from  the  King  of  England.     On  the  15th  at  eleven  in  the 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  235 

Such  were  the  nuptial  ceremonies  of  a  Monarch 
who,  whilst  in  the  flower  of  youth,  unmarried, 
endowed  with  a  vigorous  constitution,  and  sur- 

morning,  he  repaired  to  court,  and  made  a  formal  demand  of 
the  Princess  Sophia  Charlotte  in  marriage,  for  the  King  his 
master:  the  contract  was  immediately  signed  bv  his  Excel- 
lency, in  the  name  of  that  Monarch,  by  the  Princess  affianced, 
and  by  the  reigning  Duke  her  brother.  This  ceremony  over,  it 
was  made  known  to  the  people  by  the  discharge  of  the  artil- 
lery; and  the  Princess  was  complimented  on  the  occasion,  by 
the  States  of  the  Duchy,  and  Deputies  from  the  Magistracy. 
Her  most  Serene  Highness  afterwards  dined  at  a  table  apart, 
with  the  Princess  of  Schwartzburg  her  great  aunt,  and  the 
Princess  Christina  Sophia  her  sister;  M.  Zesterfleth,  grand 
marshal  of  the  c  art,  the  Marshal  Knesebeck,  and  the  Freules 
of  Settern  and  u.auchbar,  waited  behind  her  chair;  M.  Devvitz, 
privy-couf  ,ellors  of  legation,  stood  before  the  table,  in  order 
to  place  the  dishes.  The  reigning  Duke  dined  at  a  great  table 
in  a  saloon,  with  Lord  Harcourt,  and  several  other  persons  of 
(juality  of  both  sexes.  In  two  other  apartments,  four  tables 
were  served  all  together,  with  160  covers.  The  garden  of  the 
palace  was  illuminated  at  night  with  above  4000  small  lamps; 
the  Castle-street  arid  Market-place  were  also  illuminated.  On 
the  10th  there  was  again  a  splendid  festival  at  court.  On  the 
J  7  th  her  Highness,  accompanied  by  the  reigning  Duke  her  bro- 
ther, set  out  for  Mirow.  The  18th  she  arrived  at  Perleberg, 
where  she  was  complimented,  in  the  name  of  his  Prussian  Ma- 
jesty, by  the  Count  de  Gotter,  who  wished  her  a  happy  voyage. 
On  the  19th  she  continued  her  journey  by  Lentzen  for  Gohrde, 
where  her  most  Serene  Highness  dined  twice  in  public,  and 
walked  in  the  afternoon  in  the  park.  On  the  20th,  at  seven 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  she  arrived  at  Stade,  under  a  general 
discharge  of  the  cannon  of  the  place,  and   amidst  the  accla- 


236  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

rounded  with  incitements  to  pleasures  and  indul- 
gences of  every  kind,  even  before  his  accession, 
yet  resisted  all  these  seductions  until  united  to 
one  to  whom  he  soon  became  affectionately  at- 

mations  of  a  vast  number  of  people,  both  citizens  and  fo- 
reigners. The  Burgesses  of  Stade  were  assembled  under  arms, 
and  lined  the  streets  through  which  her  most  Serene  Highness 
passed.  At  nine  o'clock  the  whole  town  was  illuminated,  and 
several  triumphal  arches  were  erected  in  the  principal  streets, 
on  which  were  placed  many  small  lamps  and  inscriptions  ana- 
logous to  the  feast.  The  next  night  these  marks  of  public  joy 
were  reiterated.  Next  morning  she  set  out  for  Cuxhaven;  and 
on  the  22d,  about  ten  in  the  morning,  her  most  Serene  High- 
ness embarked  on  board  the  yacht,  amidst  the  acclamations  of 
the  people,  accompanied  by  the  Duchesses  of  Ancaster  and 
Hamilton,  the  Earl  of  Harcourt  and  Lord  Anson.  She  was  sa- 
luted by  the  whole  squadron  destined  to  convoy  her  to  Eng- 
land. They  were  ranged  on  each  side  of  the  yacht.  The  mo- 
ment she  entered  her  cabin,  she  saluted  the  officers  of  the 
different  ships,  who  had  crowded  the  decks  in  order  to  have  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  her,  who  were  all  charmed  with  her  affable 
and  polite  behaviour.  She  sailed  from  Cuxhaven  the  28th,  and 
arrived  in  the  port  of  Harwich,  on  Sunday  evening,  Sept.  6. 
Her  Highness  continued  that  night,  and  dined  the  next  day 
on  board  :  after  which  she  landed,  and  was  received  by  the 
Mayor  and  Aldermen  of  Harwich  in  their  usual  formalities. 
About  five  o'clock  she  came  to  Colchester,  and  stopped  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Enew,  where  she  was  received  and  waited  upon 
by  Mrs.  Enew  and  Mrs.  Rebow;  but  Captain  Best  attended  her 
with  coffee,  and  Lieutenant  John  Seaber  with  tea.  Mr.  Great, 
of  Colchester,  had  the  honour  of  presenting  to  her  Majesty, 
while  she  was  at  Mr.  Enew's,  a  box  of  candied  eringo  root,  a 
product  of  Colchester,  with  which  the  Royal  Famil  y  are  always 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  237 

tached,  though  totally  exempt  from  that  uxori- 
ousness  which  had  been  so  fatal  to  one  of  his 
predecessors. 

Cumberland  tells  a  whimsical   story  of  Dodd- 

presented  when  they  pass  that  way.  He  was  introduced  by  the 
Earl  of  Harcourt.  After  being  thus  refreshed,  she  proceeded 
to  Withani,  where  she  arrived  at  a  quarter  past  seven,  and 
stopping  at  Lord  Abercorn's,  as  elegant  an  entertainment  was 
provided  as  the  time  would  admit.  The  first  course  consisted 
of  leverets,  partridges,  carp,  and  soles,  brought  by  express 
from  Colchester,  just  time  enough  for  supper.  There  were 
many  other  dishes,  but  they  were  principally  made.  During 
the  time  of  her  supping,  the  door  of  the  room  was  ordered  to 
be  wide  oper  that  every  body  might  have  the  pleasure  and 
.satisfaction  jf  seeing  her  Majesty.  At  the  sides  of  her  chair 
stood  tho  Lords  Harcourt  and  Anson.  The  fruits  were  choice 
melons,  figs,  pears,  &c.  and  many  other  sorts,  both  in  and  out 
of  season.  She  slept  that  night  at  his  lordship's  house;  and  a 
little  after  twelve  o'clock,  September  8,  came  to  Rumford, 
where  she  stopped  at  Mr.  Button's,  wine-merchant.  The 
King's  servants  and  his  coaches  met  her  Majesty  there,  and 
served  her  with  coffee.  Her  Majesty  staid  there  till  almost 
one,  and  then  went  into  his  Majesty's  coach,  drove  by  his  body 
coachman  and  chief  postillion  in  their  caps.  Opposite  to  her 
Majesty  sat  their  Graces  the  Duchesses  of  Hamilton  and  An- 
caster.  Her  Majesty  was  dressed  entirely  in  the  English  taste; 
she  wore  a  fly  cap,  with  rich  laced  lappets,  a  stomacher  orna- 
mented with  diamonds,  and  a  gold  brocade  suit  of  clothes  with 
a  white  ground.  Her  coach  was  preceded  by  three  of  his 
Majesty's  coaches,  in  which  were  some  ladies  from  Mecklen- 
burg, the  Lords  Harcourt,  Anson,  and  others.  The  Leicester 
militia  were  drawn  up  in  the  several  towns  through  which  her 
Majesty  passed,  and  nt  Mile  End   she  was  met  by  a  party   uf 


238  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

ington  Lord  Melcombe  upon  this  occasion,  who, 
"  when  he  paid  his  court  at  St.  James's  to  her 
Majesty  upon  her  nuptials,  approached  to  kiss  her 

horse  grenadiers  and  life-guards.  At  Whitechapel  turnpike 
they  turned  off'toBethnal  Green,  through  Hackney  turnpike,  by 
Shorediteh  church,  up  the  City-road,  from  thence  to  Marybone, 
through  Hyde-park,  down  Constitution-hill,  to  St.  JamesV 
park.  Her  Majesty  alighted  at  the  garden  gate,  being  handed 
out  of  the  coach  by  the  Duke  of  Devonshire,  Lord  Chamber- 
Iain  ;  and  upon  her  entrance  into  the  garden,  she  sunk  on  her 
knee  to  the  King,  who,  in  a  most  affectionate  manner  raising 
her  up,  sainted  her,  and  then  led  her  into  the  palace  ;  where 
she  dined  with  his  Majesty,  the  Princess  Dowager,  and  the 
Princess  Augusta.  Her  Majesty's  arrival  at  the  Palace  was 
immediately  proclaimed  by  the  firing  of  the  guns  in  St.  James's- 
park  and  at  the  Tower.  All  the  Royal  Family  were  present  at 
the  nuptials.  Their  Majesties,  after  the  ceremony,  sat  on  one 
side  of  the  altar,  on  two  state  chairs,  under  a  canopy  :  her  Royal 
Highness  the  Princess  Dowager  of  Wales  sat  facing  them,  in  a 
chair  of  state,  on  the  other  side;  and  all  the  rest  of  the  Royal 
Family  on  stools;  and  the  Nobility,  with  the  Foreign  Ministers 
(among  whom  was  M.  de  Bussy;,  on  benches.  The  ceremony 
was  ended  at  half  an  hour  after  ten,  which  was  announced  by 
the  firing  of  the  guns  at  the  Park  and  the  Tower.  The  houses 
in  London  and  Westminster  were  finely  illuminated. 

The  public  anxiety  at  the  time  was  admirably  pictured  in  a 
letter  from  Horace  Walpole  to  the  Hon.  H.  Seymour  Conway. 

"Tuesday  Morning,  8th  Sept.  1761. 

"  Nothing  was  ever  equal  to  the  bustle  and  uncertainty  of  the 
town  for  these  three  days.  The  Queen  was  seen  off  the  coast 
of  Suffolk  on  Saturday  last,  and  is  not  yet  arrived;  nay,  last 
night  at  ten  o'clock,  it  was  neither  certain  where  she  lauded,  nor 
when  she  would  be  in  town.  I  forgive  history  for  knowing 
nothing,  when  so  public  un  event  as  the  arrival  of  a  new  Queen 
is  a  mystery  even  at  the  very  moment  at  St.  James's.     The 


1761.        HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.        239 

hand,  decked  in  an  embroidered  suit  of  silk,  with 
lilac  waistcoat  and  breeches,  the  latter  of  which 
in  the  act  of  kneeling  down  forgot  their  duty, 

messenger  that  brought  the  letter  yesterday  morning,  said,  she 
arrived  half  after  four  at  Harwich;  this  was  immediately 
translated  into  landing,  and  notified  in  these  words  to  the 
Ministers:  six  hours  afterwards,  it  proved  no  such  thing,  and 
that  she  was  only  in  Harwich  road  ;  and  they  recollected  that 
half  an  hour  after  four  happens  twice  in  twenty-four  hours,  and 
the  letter  did  not  specify  which  of  the  twices  it  was.  Well,  the 
bridemaids  whipt  on  their  virginity ;  the  new  roads  and  the 
parks  were  tb'  mged ;  the  guns  were  choaking  with  impatience 
to  get  off;  nd  Sir  James  Lowther,  who  was  to  pledge  his  Ma- 
jesty, wrj  actually  married  to  Lady  Mary  Stuart ;  five,  six,  se- 
ven, and  eight  o'clock  came,  and  no  Queen  ;  she  lay  atWitham, 
at  Lord  Abercorn's,  who  was  most  tranquilly  in  town;  and  it  is 
not  certain  even  whether  she  will  be  composed  enough  to  be  in 
town  to-night;  she  has  been  sick  but  half  an  hour;  sung  and 
played  on  the   harpsichord  all  the  voyage,  and  been  cheerful 

the  whole  time. 

"  Twenty  minutes  past  three  in  the  afternoon, 

not  in  the  middle  of  the  night, 
"  P.  S.  Madame  Charlotte  is  this  instant  arrived  ;  the  noise 
of  the  coaches,  chaises,  horsemen,  mob,  that  have  been  to  see 
her  pass  through  the  parks,  is  so  prodigious,  that  I  cannot  dis- 
tinguish the  guns.  I  am  going  to  be  dressed,  and  before  seven 
shall  launch  into  the  crowd."* 

*  Her  Majesty  was  not  handsome — in  the  eye  more  espe- 
cially of  a  man  of  twenty-two,  whose  heart  was  pre -occupied 
with  another  image.  An  involuntary  expression  of  the  King's 
countenance  revealed  what  was  passing  within  ;  but  it  was  a 
passing  cloud.  The  generous  feelings  of  the  Monarch  were  in- 
terested; and  the  tenderness  with  which  he  thenceforward 
treated  Queen  Charlotte  was  uninterrupted,  until  the  moment 
of  their  final  separation. 


'-40  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  17G1. 

and  broke  loose  from  their  moorings  in  a  very  in- 
decorous and  uncourtly  manner." 

When  the  nuptial  knot  was  tied,  the  Queen,  far 

In  a  subsequent  epistle  he  says — 

"  Sept.  9,  1761. 

"  The  Queen  is  come  ;  I  have  seen  her,  been  presented  to 
her,  and  may  go  back  to  Strawberry.  For  this  fortnight  I  have 
lived  upon  the  road  between  Twickenham  and  London.  I  came, 
grew  impatient,  returned  ;  came  again,  still  to  no  purpose. 
The  yachts  made  the  coast  of  Suffolk  last  Saturday  ;  on  Sun- 
day entered  the  road  of  Harwich,  and  on  Monday  morning  the 
King's  chief  eunuch,  as  the  Tripoline  Ambassador  calls  Lord 
Anson,  landed  the  Princess,  and  yesterday  at  a  quarter  after 
three  arrived  at  St.  James's.  In  half  an  hour  one  heard  of  no- 
thing but  proclamations  of  her  beauty;  every  body  was  con- 
tent, every  body  was  pleased.  At  seven  one  went  to  court — 
the  night  was  sultry — about  ten  the  procession  began  to  move 
towards  the  chapel,  and  at  eleven  they  all  came  up  into  the 
drawing-room.  She  looks  very  sensible,  cheerful,  and  is  remark- 
ably genteel.  Her  tiara  of  diamonds  was  very  pretty,  her  sto- 
macher sumptuous,  her  violet  velvet  mantle  very  heavy. 
You'll  have  no  doubt  of  her  sense  by  what  I  shall  tell  you. 
On  the  road  they  wanted  her  to  curl  her  toupee  :  she  said  she 
thought  it  looked  as  well  as  that  of  any  of  the  ladies  sent  to 
fetch  her;  if  the  King  bid  her,  she  would  wear  a  perriwig; 
otherwise  she  would  remain  as  she  was.  When  she  caught  the 
first  glimpse  of  t]ie  palace,  she  grew  frightened  and  grew  pale; 
the  Duchess  of  Hamilton  smiled  ;  the  Princess  said,  "  My  dear 
Duchess,  you  may  laugh;  you  have  been  married  twice,  but 
it  is  no  joke  to  me."  Her  lips  trembled  as  the  coach  stopped, 
but  she  jumped  out  with  spirit,  and  has  done  nothing  but  with 
good-humour  and  cheerfulness.  She  talks  a  great  deal,  is  easy, 
civil,  and  not  disconcerted.  At  first,  when  the  bridemaids  and 
the  court  were  introduced  to  her,  she  said,  "Mon  dieu,  il  y  en 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  241 

from  being  elated  at  her  exaltation,  manifested, 
by  her  extreme  affability  and  condescension,  a 
mind  infinitely  superior    even  to  royalty.     Her 

a  tarn!"  She  was  pleased  when  she  was  to  kiss  the  peeresses, 
but  lady  Augusta  was  forced  to  take  her  hand  and  give  it  to 
those  who  were  to  kiss  it,  which  was  prettily  humble  and  good- 
natured.  While  they  waited  for  supper,  she  sat  down,  sung? 
and  played.  Her  French  is  tolerable;  she  exchanged  much 
both  of  that  and  German  with  the  King,  the  Duke,  and  Duke 
of  York.  The  did  not  get  to  bed  till  two.  To-day  was  a  draw- 
ing-room ;  f  ery  body  was  presented  to  her,  but  she  spoke  to 
nobody,  ?..  she  could  not  know  a  soul.  The  King  looked  very 
handsome,  and  talked  to  her  continually  with  great  good-hu- 
mour. It  does  not  promise  as  if  they  would  be  the  two  most 
unhappy  persons  in  England." 

The  poetical  effusions  on  this  occasion  were  numberless.   We 
select  two  as  short  and  descriptive  of  the  Royal  pair : — 
"  She  comes  !  I  see  her  from  afar, 
Refulgent  as  the  morning-star, 

Or  as  the  mid-day  sun  : 
Conduct  her,  Heaven,  across  the  deep  ; 
Lay  the  unruly  winds  asleep  ! 

Heaven  spake,  and  it  was  done  : 
Th'  obedient  waves  on  the  smooth  surface  glide, 
And  pay  due  homage  to  their  Sovereign's  bride. 

Inur'd  too  long  to  martial  noise, 
She  comes  to  taste  the  envied  joys 

Of  glory  and  repose  ; 
No  more  to  hear  the  orphan's  cry, 
The  heartfelt  pang,  the  plaintive  sigh, 
Nor  dread  approaching  foes. 
Boast  then,  Oh  boast!  the  triumph  of  thine  eyes; 
The  best  of  Princes  is  Charlotta's  prize. 

VOL.    I.  It 


242  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

engaging  behaviour  endeared  her  to  all  ranks  of 
people ;  whilst  her  innocent  and  virtuous  dispo- 
sition gained  so  much  upon  the  affections  of  her 

And  see  !  the  royal  youth  appears, 
Mature  in  glory,  ripe  in  years, 
Britannia's  darling  care. — 
Tell  me,  ye  envious  distant  powers, 
What  isle  can  boast  a  King  like  ours, 
What  isle  a  Queen  so  fair  ? 
Illustrious  Monarch,  thou  hast  gain'd  from  Heaven 
Its  choicest  gift !  What  more  could  it  have  given  ? 

Immortal  Hymen,  to  whose  care 
Belong  the  solemn  rites,  prepare 

To  crown  the  happy  day  ! 
Ye  Muses,  sweep  the  sounding  lyre  ! 
Exert  your  warm  poetic  fire 
To  chase  the  hours  away, 
Till  George  receive  her  to  the  nuptial  bed  ; 
Till  Innocence  with  royal  Virtue  wed  : 

And,  when  in  living  verse  ye  tell 
How  Britain  rul'd,  how  Gallia  fell, 

In  his  auspicious  reign, 
Her  beauty's  empire  shall  be  sung  ; 
Her  merit,  prais'd  by  ev'ry  tongue, 
Shall  close  the  grateful  strain: 
Long  may  she  boast  the  triumph  of  her  eyes; 
Long  may  the  best  of  princes  be  her  prize  !" 


"  Hymen,  to  thee  our  prayers  ascend  ; 
To  thee  fair  Albion's  sov'reigns  bend  ; 
Thv  frasrrant  roses  strow  : 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  243 

royal  consort,  that  he  became  enamoured  to  an 
excess  of  fondness,  each  revolving  day  adding  to 
his  happiness,  and  to  mutual  confidence. 

Their  hands  let  smiling  Concord  join  ; 
Venus  a  myrtle-wreath  entwine 

For  George  and  Charlotte's  brow. 

See  the  brisk  hours  on  rosy  wing 

From  morn's  bright  portal,  jocund  spring 

To  hail  the  happy  day; 
Whilst  slow  retires  th'  Hesperian  star, 
Phoebus  impatient  mounts  his  car, 

And  beams  his  brightest  ray. 

Look  through  the  radiant  lists  of  time  : 
Seest  thou  in  any  age  or  clime 

A  nation  bless'd  like  this  ? 
A  King,  whose  will  's  the  people's  voice, 
A  Queen,  whose  worth 's  the  people's  choice, 

Accumulate  its  bliss. 

Whilst,  glad  to  cull  each  blooming  flow'r, 
And  deck,  bright  pair,  your  nuptial  bow'r, 

Light  frisk  the  purple  loves, 
Reason  with  Joy  the  work  surveys; 
And  Virtue,  smiling  as  they  gaze, 
Their  busy  care  approves. 

Though  idle  fops,  still  prone  to  change, 
Like  the  gay  bee  incessant  range, 

'Tis  folly  deems  them  free  : 
Ye  know,  to  yield  in  Virtue's  cause, 
To  bend  the  will  to  Reason's  laws, 

Is  real  liberty. 

R    2 


244  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

Nor  is  this  surprising  when  we  reflect,  that  in 
natural  disposition  she  was  pleasing  and  good- 
humoured,  with  a  peculiar  aptitude,  especially  in 
her  younger  days,  for  sprightly  and  facetious  con- 
versation, abounding  in  anecdotes,  which  were 
always  characteristic  and  marked  by  an  acute 
and  discriminating  observation,  and  a  thorough 
insight  into  the  spring  of  human  conduct. 

Addresses  now  came  in  from  all  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  and  the  numerous  deputations  from 
cities  and  universities  were  most  graciously  re- 
ceived at  court,  where  the  royal  pair  were  highly 
distinguished  for  grace  and  affability.  Their  first 
public  appearance  was  at  chapel  on  the  ensuing 
Sunday,  which  was  crowded  to  excess ;  but  the 
auditors  were  much  disappointed  by  the  sermon 
having  no  reference  to  the  particular  occasion ;  the 

No  wild  desires  can  joy  impart ; 

They  please  the  sense,  ne'er  reach  the  heart, 

Evaporate  and  cloy  : 
Who  si  ill  pursue,  but  never  fix, 
Nor  mental  charms  with  sensual  mix, 
Possess,  but  ne'er  enjoy. 

Hymen,  far  nobler  gifts  are  thine  ; 
Each  social  joy,  each  bliss  divine, 

That  glads  the  human  breast : 
Thine  is  th'  ecstatic  mutual  glow, 
'Tis  you  the  sacred  gift  bestow, 

In  blessing  to  be  blest. 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND     FAMILY'.  245 

Rev.  Mr.  Schutz  confining  himself  to  a  mere  prac- 
tical illustration  of  the  text,  "Provide  things 
honest  in  the  sight  of  men." 

The  next  evening  was  devoted  to  dramatic 
amusement  at  Drury-lane,  to  see  "  The  Rehearsal ; ' 
their  passage  from  the  palace  to  the  theatre  being 
nearly  obstructed  by  the  loyal  and  curious  crowds, 
who  pressed  so  close  upon  the  royal  cortege,  that 
the  Queen  experienced  considerable  alarm ;  and 
they  both  manifested  great  concern  and  sorrow 
on  hearing  the  ensuing  morning  that  serious  in- 
jury had  been  done  to  many  individuals,  and  one 
or  two  persons  trampled  to  death  in  the  pressure 
of  the  crowd. 

Preparatory  to  the  day  of  the  coronation,  the 
22d  of  September,  his  Majesty  had  sedulously 
attended  to  all  possible  means  of  preventing  acci- 
dents to  the  thousands  expected  to  assemble ;  but 
as  all  these  particulars  have  been  already  co- 
pit  isly  detailed,  and  laid  before  the  public  in  the 
"  Memoirs  of  her  Majesty,"  we  shall  confine  the 
details  of  that  important  event  to  the  occur- 
rences personally  connected  with  the  King  him- 
self. 

Every  thing  being  previously  arranged  in  West- 
minster-hall, a  little  before  the  royal  procession 
began  to  march,  proceeded  that  of  the  Princess 
Dowager,  from  the  House  of  Lords,  across  Old 
Palace-yard,  on  a  platform  erected  for  that  pur- 


246  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1761. 

pose,  to  the  south  cross  of  Westminster-abbey. 
She  was  conducted  by  the  hand  by  his  Royal 
Highness  Prince  William  Henry,  dressed  in  white 
and  silver,  whose  engaging  affability  and  filial 
complaisance  gained,  in  a  moment,  the  esteem 
of  all  the  spectators.  Her  train,  which  was  of 
silk,  was  but  short,  and  therefore  not  borne  by 
any  person  ;  and  her  hair  flowed  down  her  shoul- 
ders in  hanging  curls.  She  had  no  cap,  but  only 
a  circlet  of  diamonds. 

The  rest  of  the  Princes  and  Princesses,  her 
Highness's  children,  followed  in  order. 

This  procession  was  preceded  only  by  a  drum, 
which,  as  it  did  not  alarm  the  crowd  waiting  to  see 
the  King  and  Queen,  prevented  any  tumult  or  up- 
roar from  happening  among  the  spectators,  who 
were  in  general  all  genteel  persons. 

The  other  persons  who  made  up  the  remainder 
of  this  procession,  were  those  who  had  not  a  right 
to  walk  with  their  Majesties. 

The  royal  procession  now  set  off,  preceded  by 
music  ;  and  the  drums  staying  at  the  west  door  of 
the  church,  the  trumpets  and  kettle-drums  first 
entered,  and  coming  to  the  west  door  of  the  choir, 
turned  up  the  stairs  on  the  left  hand,  into  their 
gallery,  over  that  door. 

By  this  time,  the  King  and  Queen,  having  en- 
tered the  church,  were  received  by  the  dean  and 
prebendaries,  who,  with  the  choir  of  Westminster, 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  247 

proceeding  a  little  before  their  Majesties,  sung  an 
anthem. 

When  the  Queen  entered  the  choir,  the  Kings 
scholars  of  Westminster- school,  in  number  forty, 
all  in  surplices,  being  placed  in  a  gallery  adjoin- 
ing to  the  great  organ-loft,  entertained  her  Ma- 
jesty with  this  short  prayer  or  salutation,  Vivat 
Regi  na  [naming  her  Majesty's  name] ;  which  they 
continued  to  sing  until  his  Majesty  entered  the 
choir,  whom  they  entertained  in  like  manner  with 
this  prayer  or  salutation,  Vivat  [naming  his  Ma- 
jesty's name]  Rex  ;  which  they  continued  to  sing 
until  his  Majesty  ascended  the  theatre. 

Then  the  King,  having  left  the  barons  of  the 
Cinque  Ports,  who  bore  his  Majesty's  canopy,  at 
the  entrance  into  the  choir,  and  the  gentlemen 
pensioners  in  the  choir,  ascended  the  theatre ; 
and  passing  by  the  throne,  to  his  chair  of  state 
near  the  foot  of  his  throne,  made  an  humble  ado- 
ration, and  kneeled  down  at  his  faldstool,  just 
before  his  chair,  and  used  some  private  devotions ; 
the  Queen  doing  the  like  :  and  then,  arising,  seated 
himself  in  his  chair  of  state :  and,  being  seated, 
the  Queen  also  sat  down  in  her  chair  of  state. 
After  some  forms,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
the  King  standing  up,  pronounced  the  recognition. 
— "  Sirs.  I  here  present  unto  you  King  George, 
the  rightful  inheritor  of  the  crown  of  this  realm  ; 
wherefore,  all  ye  that  are  come  this  day  to  do 


248  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

your  homage,  service,  and  bounden  duty,  are 
ye  willing  to  do  the  same?"— To  which  was  an- 
swered, "  God  save  King  George!" 

The  oblations  were  next  offered ;  after  which 
their  Majesties  kneeling  at  their  faldstools,  placed 
before  their  chairs,  the  archbishop  said  the  fol- 
lowing prayer : 

"  O  God,  who  dwellest  in  the  high  and  holy 
place,  with  them  also  who  are  of  an  humble  spirit : 
look  down  graciously  upon  these  thy  servants, 
George  our  King,  and  Charlotte  our  Queen,  here 
prostrate  before  thee  at  thy  footstool,  and  merci- 
fully receive  these  oblations,''  &c. 

The  sermon  next  followed,  after  certain  cere- 
monies, preached  by  the  Bishop  of  Salisbury.  This 
distinguished  prelate  took,  for  his  text,  1  Kings 
x.  9.  "  Because  the  Lord  loved  Israel  for  ever, 
therefore  made  he  thee  King  to  do  judgment  and 
justice."  These  words  (he  observed)  lead  natu- 
rally to  two  important  truths: 

I.  That,  when  great  and  good  kings  reign,  they 
are  the  means  by  which  God  blesses  a  people.  It 
is  not  said,  because  the  Lord  loved  Solomon,  but, 
because  he  loved  Israel,  therefore  made  he  Solo- 
mon king.  II.  That  the  duty  and  end  of  royalty 
is  to  do  judgment  and  justice. 

He  further  noticed  that  the  merit  of  a  wise  and 
righteous  government  must  certainly  redound  to 
the  honour  of  the  person  who  administers  it :  the 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  249 

divine  prerogative  of  communicating  happiness 
and  glory  to  a  great  people,  of  feeding  them  with 
a  faithful  and  true  heart,  and  ruling  them  pru- 
dently with  all  his  power,  must  surely  fill  the 
mind  of  a  prince  with  that  inward  delight  and 
satisfaction  that  attend  every  act  of  a  conspicuous 
and  distinguished  virtue  ;  but  the  general  utility 
is  to  the  people :  and,  however  he  may  partake 
of  their  felicity,  the  difficulty,  the  disquietude, 
the  constant  care  lie  upon  the  prince.  Addressing 
himself  more  particularly  to  the  principal  person- 
age at  this  august  ceremony,  the  prelate  most  con- 
stitutionally stated  that  a  wise  prince  will  not 
only  cultivate  those  principles  which  strengthen 
the  bands  by  which  every  society  is  knit  together, 
but  he  will  also  unalterably  adhere  to  those  means, 
and  pursue  those  ends,  which  secure  the  founda- 
tions, and  promote  the  benefits  of  the  constitution, 
at  the  head  of  which  he  is  placed.  If  this  happy 
lot  fall  in  a  country  where  the  constitution  in 
church  and  state  is  founded  upon  the  principles 
of  purity  and  freedom,  and  justly  poised  between 
the  extremes  of  power  and  liberty,  he  will  find 
himself  clothed  with  every  degree  of  authority 
that  a  heart  well-intentioned  can  desire ;  and  at 
the  head  of  a  constitution,  the  best  formed  to  con- 
vey peace  and  happiness  to  mankind :  and  it  will 
be  easy  to  him  to  make  the  law  the  rule  of  his 
actions,  as  he  measures  his  own  interest  by  that 


250  GEORGE    THE     THIRD,  1761. 

of  his  people,  and  his  own  duty  by  the  public 
good.  After  expatiating  at  some  length  upon  the 
reciprocal  duties  of  monarch  and  subject,  he  thus 
concluded :  "  What  then  remains,  but  to  exhort 
you  ;  and  what  can  be  more  becoming  this  great 
and  solemn  occasion,  than  to  offer  up  the  most 
fervent  supplications  with  one  mind  to  heaven, 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  of  that  God,  in  whose  pre- 
sence the  King  and  people  are  preparing  to  declare 
their  mutual  engagements,  may  pour  into  their 
hearts  a  sincere  zeal  for  each  other's  happiness, 
and  unite  them  in  the  strictest  bands  of  affection ! 
May  the  sacred  oath,  which  our  Sovereign  takes 
at  the  altar  of  the  King  of  kings,  ever  recur  to  his 
mind  as  the  genuine  intentions  of  his  own  heart ! 
May  the  homage,  which  we  pay  him  in  all  truth 
and  faithfulness,  be  bound  upon  our  hearts  and 
minds  with  the  ties  of  duty,  gratitude,  and 
love !  And  from  us  may  unfeigned  loyalty  spread 
itself  through  all  ranks,  give  a  right  temper  to 
the  conduct  of  all  his  subjects,  and  establish  his 
kingdom.'' 

Sermon  being  ended,  the  King  uncovered  his 
head,  and  the  archbishop  asked  him,  "  Sir,  Are 
you  willing  to  take  the  oath  usually  taken  by  your 
predecessors  ? " 

And  the  King  answered,  "  I  am  willing." 
Then  the  archbishop  ministered  these  questions ; 


1761.      HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.  251 

to  which  the  King  (having  a  book  in  his  hand) 
answered,  as  followeth : 

Archb. — "  Sir,  Will  you  solemnly  promise  and 
swear  to  govern  the  people  of  this  kingdom  of 
Britain,  and  the  dominions  thereto  belonging,  ac- 
cording to  the  statutes  in  parliament  agreed,  and 
the  laws  and  customs  of  the  same  ?" 

The  King. — "  I  solemnly  promise  so  to  do."* 

Archb. — "  Sir,  Will  you  keep  peace  and  godly 
agreement  entirely,  according  to  your  power,  to 
the  holy  church,  the  clergy,  and  the  people  ?" 

King. — "  I  will  keep  it." 

Archb. — "  Sir,  Will  you,  to  your  power,  cause 
law,  justice,  and  discretion,  in  mercy  and  truth, 
to  be  executed  in  all  your  judgments  V\ 

King.—"  I  will." 

Archb. — "  Sir,  Will  you  grant  to  hold  and  keep 
the  rightful  customs  which  the  commonalty  of  this 
your  kingdom  have?  And  will  you  defend  and 
uphold  them,  to  the  honour  of  God,  so  much  as 
in  you  lieth  ?'.' 

King. — "  I  grant  and  promise  so  to  do." 

Then  the  petition  or  request  of  the  bishops  to 
the  King  was  read  by  one  of  that  sacred  order, 
with  a  clear  voice,  in  the  name  of  the  rest  stand- 
ing by  :   "  Our  Lord  and  King,  we  beseech  you  to 

*  An  error  crept  into  the  former  edition  on  this  subject, 
from  the  inaccuracy  of  the  authority  referred  to. 


252  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

pardon  us,  and  to  grant  and  preserve  unto  us, 
and  the  churches  committed  to  our  charge,  all 
canonical  privileges,  and  due  law  and  justice :  and 
that  you  will  protect  and  defend  us,  as  every  good 
king  in  his  kingdom  ought  to  be  protector  and 
defender  of  the  bishops  and  churches  under  their 
government." 

The  King  answered,  "  With  a  willing  and  de 
vout  heart  I  promise  and  grant  you  my  pardon ; 
and  that  I  will  preserve  and  maintain  to  you,  and 
the  churches  committed  to  your  charge,  all  ca- 
nonical privileges,  and  due  law  and  justice  :  and 
that  I  will  be  your  protector  and  defender  to  my 
power,  by  the  assistance  of  God,  as  every  good 
king  in  his  kingdom  ought  in  right  to  protect 
and  defend  the  bishops  and  churches  under  their 
government." 

Then  the  King  rose  from  his  chair,  and,  being- 
attended  by  the  Lord  Great  Chamberlain,  and 
supported  by  the  two  bishops,  and  the  sword  of 
state  carried  before  him,  went  to  the  altar,  and, 
laying  his  hand  upon  the  evangelists,  took  the 
oath  following :  "  The  things,  which  I  have  here 
before  promised,  I  will  perform  and  keep.  So 
help  me  God,  and  the  contents  of  this  book ;"  and 
then  he  kissed  the  book. 

Exactly  at  half-past  three  o'clock,  the  arch- 
bishop,  Seeker,  took  the  crown  from  the  altar, 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  253 

and  placed  it  upon  his  Majesty's  head,  amidst  the 
most  awful  silence.  Instantly  the  music  sounded, 
the  people  shouted  "  God  save  the  King  !"  which 
was  echoed  from  the  guns  of  the  Park  and  Tower, 
in  answer  to  a  signal  from  a  flag-staff  on  the  top  of 
the  abbey. 

Te  Deum  being  ended,  the  King  ascended  the 
throne,  being  lifted  up  by  the  archbishops  and 
bishops,  and  other  peers  of  the  kingdom,  who, 
with  the  noblemen  that  bore  the  swords  before 
him,  stood  about  the  throne  and  steps. 

The  King  being  seated  in  his  throne,  the 
Archbishop,  standing  before  him,  said  this  ex- 
hortation : 

"  Stand  firm,  and  hold  fast  from  henceforth 
that  place  of  royal  dignity,  whereof  thou  art  the 
lawful  and  undoubted  heir,  by  succession  from  thy 
forefathers,"  &c. 

The  exhortation  being  ended,  all  the  peers  then 
present  did  their  homage  to  the  King. 

First,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  kneeling 
before  his  Majesty's  knees  (the  other  bishops 
doing  the  same  behind  and  about  him)  did  his 
homage,  saying,  "I,  Thomas,  Archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, will  be  faithful  and  true,  and  faith  and 
truth  will  bear  unto  you,  our  Sovereign  Lord,  and 
your  heirs,  Kings  of  Great  Britain  :  and  I  will 
do,  and  truly  acknowledge,    the  service  of  the 


254  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

land  which  I  claim  to  hold  of  you,  as  in  right  of 
the  church.     So  help  me  God."* 

Then  rising,  he  kissed  the  King's  left  cheek : 
after  him,  the  rest  of  the  bishops  present  did  the 
like,  and  retired. 

Then  the  first  Duke,  having  in  his  hand  the 
words  of  homage,  in  the  behalf  of  himself  and  the 
rest  of  the  Dukes,  kneeled  down,  and  said  as  fol- 
lows :    "  I  Duke   of ,  do   become 

your  liege  man  of  life  and  limb,  and  of  earthly 
worship  :  and  faith  and  truth  I  will  bear  unto  you, 
to  live  and  die  against  all  manner  of  folks.  So 
help  me  God." 

Then  the  Archbishop  took  the  Queen's  diadem 
from  ofT  the  altar,  and  reverently  set  it  on  her 
Majesty's  head,  saying,  "  Receive  the  crown  of 
glory,  honour,  and  joy;  and  God,  the  crown  of 
the  faithful,  who,  by  our  episcopal  hands  (though 
most  unworthy,)  hath  this  clay  set  a  crown  of 
pure  gold  upon  thy  head,  enrich,"  &c. 

The  Queen  being  crowned,  all  the  peeresses 
present  put  on  their  coronets  :  and  then  the  Arch- 
bishop put  the  sceptre  with  the  cross  into  her 
Majesty's  right   hand,    and    the  ivory  rod   with 

*  At  the  coronation  of  King  George  the  Second,  his  Majesty, 
as  a  part  of  the  ceremony,  kissed  the  archbishop  and  bishops 
as  they  knelt  before  him  one  after  another.  The  late  King 
omitted  this  part  of  the  ceremony,  which  had  been  practised 
for  centuries  before  on  similar  occasions. 


176  L  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  255 

the  clove    into  her  left,   and   said  the   following- 
prayer  : 

f  O  Lord,  the  fountain  of  all  good  things,  and 
the  giver  of  all  perfection,  grant  unto  this  thy 
servant  Charlotte,  our  Queen,"  &c. 

The  Queen  being  thus  anointed  and  crowned, 
and  having  received  all  her  royal  ornaments,  the 
choirs  sung  an  anthem,  performed  by  the  whole 
concert  of  voices  and  instruments. 

As  soon  as  the  anthem  began,  the  Queen  rose 
from  her  faldstool ;  and,  being  supported  by  the 
two  bishops,  and  her  train  borne,  and  attended  as 
before,  went  up  to  the  theatre ;  and,  as  she  ap- 
proached towards  the  King,  bowed  herself  reve- 
rently to  his  Majesty  sitting  upon  his  throne ;  and 
so  was  conducted  to  her  own  throne  on  the  left 
hand  of  the  King,  where  she  reposed  herself  till 
the  anthem  was  ended. 

The  awful  service  of  the  communion  now  took 
place,  when  a  most  interesting  particular  occurred* 
which  those  only  could  observe  who  sat  near  the 
communion-table,  as  did  the  prebendaries  of 
Westminster.  When  the  King  approached  the 
communion-table  in  order  to  receive  the  sacra- 
ment, he  inquired  of  the  Archbishop  whether  he 
should  not  lay  aside  his  crown  ?  The  Archbishop 
asked  the  Bishop  of  Rochester,  but  neither  of 
them  knew  or  could  say  whether  there  was  any 
order  in  the  service,  for  receiving  it  with  or  with- 


256  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

out  his  crown  ;  and  his  Grace  replying  there  was 
none  :  "  Then  there  ought  to  be,"  rejoined  the 
excellent  Prince ;  and  immediately  took  off  his 
crown,  and  received  the  sacrament  without  it.* 

The  order  of  return  being  arranged  in  due  form, 
that  most  glorious  and  splendid  assembly  pro- 
ceeded down  the  body  of  the  church  through  the 
great  west  door,  and  so  returned  to  Westminster- 
hall,  by  the  same  way  it  came :  the  Dukes  of 
Normandy  and  Aquitaine  wearing  their  caps  of 
estate,  the  peers  and  peeresses  their  coronets, 
the  bishops  their  caps,  and  the  Kings  of  Arms 
their  coronets. 

All  the  way  from  the  church  to  the  hall,  the 
drums  beat,   the  trumpets  sounded,  and  the  vast 

*  This  has  been  rather  differently  described  by  an  eye-witness, 
who  says,  "  When  the  anointing  was  over  in  the  abbey,  and 
the  crown  put  upon  the  King's  head,  attended  with  great 
shouting,  the  two  archbishops  came  to  hand  him  down  to  the 
altar  to  receive  the  sacrament,  when  he  told  them  he  could 
not  partake  of  that  ordinance  wearing  his  crown  ;  for  he  looked 
upon  himself,  when  approaching  the  King  of  kings,  in  no  other 
light  than  that  of  an  humble  Christian,  which  were  his  very 
words.  The  bishops  replied,  although  there  was  no  precedent, 
his  wish  should  certainly  be  complied  with,  and  immediately 
he  (the  King)  took  it  off  and  laid  it  aside,  begging  the  same 
might  be  done  by  the  Queen's  crown.  On  being  informed 
that  could  not  easily  be  done,  on  account  of  the  manner  of  its 
being  put  on;  he  replied,  'Well,  then,  let  it  be  considered  at 
present  as  part  of  her  dress,  and  in  no  other  light.' " 


17G1.  HIS     COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  257 

multitude  of  beholders   filled  the  air  with  loud 
acclamations  and  shouts. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  in  returning,  the  most 
valuable  jewel  in  the  King's  crown  fell  out,  but 
was  soon  after  picked  up  and  honestly  restored. 

On  their  arrival  at  Westminster-hall,  and  the 
table  being  served,  their  Majesties  sat  down  to 
dinner,  as  did  likewise  the  peers  and  peeresses 
at  their  respective  boards. 

Before  the  second  course  was  brought  in,  the 
King's  Champion,  who  enjoys  that  office  as  being 
Lord  of  the  Manor  of  Scrivelsby  in  Lincolnshire, 
entered  the  hall  completely  armed,  in  one  of  his 
Majesty's  best  suits  of  white  armour,  mounted  on 
a  goodly  white  horse,  richly  caparisoned,  in  this 
order :  the  Earl  Marshal  in  his  robes  and  coronet, 
on  horseback,  with  the  Marshal's  staff  in  his  hand; 
the  champion  on  horseback,  with  a  gauntlet  in  his 
right-hand,  his  helmet  on  his  head,  adorned  with 
a  great  plume  of  feathers,  white,  blue,  and  red  ; 
the  Lord  High  Constable  in  his  robes  and  coronet, 
and  collar  of  the  order,  on  horseback,  with  the 
Constable's  staff. 

The  passage  to  their  Majesties  table  being 
cleared  by  the  Knight  Marshal,  the  Herald  at 
Arms,  with  a  loud  voice,  proclaimed  the  Cham- 
pion's challenge  at  the  lower  end  of  the  hall,  in 
the  words  following  :• — 

"  If  any  person,  of  what  degree  soever,  high  or 

VOL.    I.  S 


258  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

low,  shall  deny  or  gainsay  our  Sovereign  Lord 
King  George  III.  King  of  Great  Britain,  France, 
and  Ireland,  defender  of  the  faith,  &c.  grandson 
and  next  heir  to  our  Sovereign  Lord  King  George 
II.  the  last  King,  deceased,  to  be  right  heir  to  the 
imperial  crown  of  this  realm  of  Great  Britain,  or 
that  he  ought  not  to  enjoy  the  same,  here  is  his 
Champion,  who  saith  that  he  lyeth,  and  is  a 
false  traytor,  being  ready  in  person  to  combat 
with  him ;  and  in  this  quarrel  will  adventure  his 
life  against  him,  on  what  day  soever  he  shall 
be  appointed." 

And  then  the  Champion  threw  down  his  gaunt- 
let ;  which,  having  lain  some  small  time,  the  He- 
rald took  up,  and  re-delivered  it  to  the  Champion. 

Their  Majesties  having  dined,  rose  from  table  ; 
received  again  their  regalia,  which  had  been  held 
near  them  all  dinner-time  ;  and  thus,  with  their 
crowns  on  their  heads,  and  the  orb  and  sceptres  in 
their  hands,  and  attended  and  their  trains  borne 
as  before,  and  the  four  swords,  and  sceptre  with 
the  dove,  being  borne  before  his  Majesty,  they 
withdrew  into  the  Court  of  Wards,  where  the 
crowns,  orb,  and  sceptres  being  delivered  to  the 
Dean  of  Westminster,  and  master  of  the  jewel- 
house,  their  Majesties  departed  in  the  same 
manner  as  they  came  thither. 

After  which  the  nobility,  and  all  others  who 


17G1.  HIS    COURT,    AXD    FAMILY.  259 

dined  in  Westminster-hall,  departed  severally  to 
their  respective  abodes  and  habitations. 

The  King's  whole  behaviour  at  the  ceremony 
was  justly  admired  and  commended  by  every  one, 
and  particularly  his  manner  of  ascending-  and 
seating  himself  on  the  throne  after  his  coronation. 
No  actor  in  the  character  of  Pyrrhus  in  the 
Distressed  Mother,  not  even  Booth  himself,  who 
was  celebrated  for  it  in  the  "  Spectator,"  ever 
ascended  the  throne  with  so  much  grace  and 
dignity. 

Amongst  other  anecdotes  connected  with  this 
event,  it  has  been  noticed  of  Archbishop  Seeker 
that  he  had  the  honour  of  baptizing  his  Majesty, 
confirming  him  when  Prince  of  Wales,  marrying 
him  at  St.  James's,  and  crowning  him  at  West- 
minster ;  besides  which  he  christened  his  present 
Majesty,  the  Duke  of  York,  and  some  others  of 
the  Royal  Family, — a  series  of  distinguished 
circumstances  which  can  hardly  be  paralleled  in 
the  history  of  any  other  archbishop. 

A  whimsical  circumstance  took  place  with  re- 
spect to  Gwinn  the  architect,  of  whom  it  may  in 
general  be  said,  that  perhaps  our  whole  collection 
of  anecdotes  furnishes  nothing  more  eccentric  than 
the  movements  of  this  extraordinary  artist.  In 
pursuance  of  a  determination  he  had  made  to  re- 
tire as  much  as  possible  from  all  mortal  communi- 

s  2 


260  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G1. 

cation,  he  took  lodgings  at  an  ale-house  called  the 
Three  Tans,  in  the  Broad  Sanctuary,  Westminster, 
where  he  literally  secluded  himself  from  the  world, 
and  devoted  all  the  time  he  could  spare,  from  that 
avocation  upon  which  the  means  of  his  subsistence 
depended,    to  the   study  of  the  occult  sciences. 
His  mathematical  apparatus  was  worth   several 
hundred  pounds.     He  lodged  at  this  cabaret  dur- 
ing the  coronation,  when  an  accident  occurred 
which  rendered  him  nearly  inconsolable.     His  host 
had  erected  a  scaffold  for  spectators  before  Mr. 
G  whin's  window,  when,  from  the  tumult  and  bustle 
of  the  crowd,  a  bottle  was  broken  which  contained 
a  large,  old,   favourite  viper,    that  had  been  the 
only  companion  of  his  solitary  moments  for  many 
months.     No  language  could  describe  his  despair 
at  that  event :  he  equally  cursed  the  covetousness 
of  his  landlord  and  the  curiosity  of  the  company ; 
for  it  should  be  known  that  the  acclamations,  no- 
velty,  grandeur,   and    pageantry   of  that  superb 
scene  had  no  charms  for  him  ;  nor  would  he  have 
stirred  from  his  elbow  chair  to  have  beheld  the 
triumphal  entry  of  the  son  of  Philip  into  Baby- 
lon.    This  adventure  was  terminated  by  a  boxing- 
match  between  a  gentleman  and  himself  in  his 
own  chamber,  as  Mr.  Gwinn  had  taken  some  inde- 
cent  liberty  with  his  opponent's  wife,   in  whose 
dress    he  insisted   that   the   strayed  reptile    had 
taken  shelter. 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  261 

But  to  recount  a  tenth  part  of  the  anecdotes 
of  the  time  would  far  exceed  all  possible  limits ; 
we  shall,  therefore,  briefly  state  one  or  two  from 
Horace  Walpole,  who,  describing  the  ceremony  in 
a  letter  to  a  friend,  said,  "  The  coronation  is  over ; 
'tis  even  a  more  gorgeous  sight  than  I  imagined. 
I  saw  the  procession  and  the  hall ;  but  the  return 
was  in  the  dark.  In  the  morning  they  had  for- 
got the  sword  of  state,  the  chairs  for  King  and 
Queen,  and  their  canopies.  They  used  the  Lord 
Mayors  sword  for  the  first,  and  made  the  last  in 
the  hall ;  so  they  did  not  set  forth  till  noon  ;  and 
then,  by  a  childish  compliment  to  the  King,  re- 
served the  illumination  of  the  hall  till  his  entry, 
by  which  means  they  arrived  like  a  funeral,  no- 
thing being  discernible  but  the  plumes  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Bath,  which  seemed  the  hearse. 
Of  all  the  incidents  of  the  day,  the  most  diverting 
was  what  happened  to  the  Queen.  She  had  a 
retiring  chamber,  with  all  conveniences,  pre- 
pared behind  the  altar.  She  went  thither  :  in  the 
most  convenient,  what  found  she  but  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle."  He  adds  of  the  Queen,  that  she 
was  much  pleased  with  the  opera  a  few  nights 
afterwards,  and  declared  she  would  go  once  a- 
week  :  and  he  observes  that  the  crowds  at  the 
opera  and  play,  whenever  the  royal  pair  went 
there,  were  greater  than  he  ever  remembered. 

It  is  a  fact  that  the  Pretender,  then  only  assum- 


262  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G1. 

ing  the  title  of  Prince  of  Wales,  was  present 
incognito  at  the  coronation.  A  gentleman  recog- 
nized him,  and  Avhispered  in  his  ear,  "  Your  Royal 
Highness  is  the  last  of  all  mortals  I  should  have 
expected  to  see  here."  To  which  the  other  re- 
plied, "  It  was  curiosity  that  led  me  ;  but  I  assure 
you,  that  the  person  who  is  the  object  of  all  this 
pomp  and  magnificence,  is  the  man  I  envy  the 
least !" 

At  this  visit,  or  at  the  preceding  one  in  1753, 
it  has  been  said,  that  he  actually  abjured  the 
Catholic  religion ;  performing  that  ceremony  at 
the  New  Church  in  the  Strand,  under  the  simple 
name  of  Charles  Stuart. 

Amidst  all  this  bustle  of  pomp  and  pageantry, 
politics  were  not  forgotten,  nor  the  welfare  of  the 
state;  and  young  as  the  Monarch  was,  he  would 
not  suffer  his  mind  to  be  dazzled  by  the  splendour 
of  victories  in  America  and  Germany,  but  pru- 
dently listened  to  pacific  counsels,  though  in  so 
doing  he  acted  contrary  to  the  advice  of  the  most 
popular  statesmen,  and  even  to  the  sentiments  of 
the  people,  who  were  infatuated  by  successes 
which  the  peace  party  said  added  to  the  glory 
of  the  nation  without  contributing  to  its  security. 
The  war  minister,  finding  that  his  influence  de- 
clined, threatened  to  resign;  and  when  this  was 
represented  to  the  King  as  a  measure  which  might 
be  attended  with  unpleasant  circumstances,  his 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  263 

Majesty  replied,  "  I  am  determined  not  to  be  the 
only  slave  in  a  country  where  it  is  my  wish  to  see 
all  the  people  free ! " 

Much  has  been  said  by  all  the  writers  of  that 
period  respecting  the  struggle  of  the  Bute  and 
Pitt  interest :  without  taking  up  the  standard  of 
either  party  it  is  sufficient  here  to  observe,  that 
on  the  5th  of  October  his  Majesty  lost  two  faith- 
ful servants,  Mr.  Pitt  and  Lord  Temple,  both  re- 
signing on  the  same  day,  and  giving  to  the  King 
their  reasons  in  writing,  who  was  so  sensible  of 
the  worth  of  Pitt,  though  political  circumstances 
had  separated  them,  that  he  not  only  expressed 
his  own  personal  concern  to  that  minister,  but 
offered  him  any  rewards  in  the  power  of  the  crown 
to  bestow  :  and  the  next  day  a  pension  of  3000/. 
per  annum  was  settled  on  himself,  and  a  peerage 
conferred  on  his  lady  and  her  issue.  Indeed, 
although  the  differences  in  the  cabinet  alone  in- 
duced Mr.  Pitt  to  give  in  his  resignation,  yet  the 
King  received  him  with  ease  and  firmness,  and 
without  any  apparent  wish  to  retain  him ;  but  he 
expressed  concern  at  the  loss  of  so  able  a  minis- 
ter, and  again  made  him  an  unlimited  offer  of  any 
rewards  in  the  power  of  the  crown  to  bestow, 
though  he  still  declared  his  intention  of  adhering 
to  that  advice  which  Mr.  Pitt  disapproved  of,  say- 
ing that  he  was  so  satisfied  with  the  opinion  of 
the  majority  of  the  council,  not  to  break  with 


264  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

Spain,  that  he  should  have  found  considerable 
difficulty  in  agreeing  to  their  measures  if  they 
had  concurred  as  fully  in  Mr.  Pitt's  advice  as 
they  had  done  in  rejecting  it.  The  ex-minister 
was  so  much  struck  by  the  candour  and  conde- 
scension of  the  King,  that  he  answered,  "  I  con- 
fess, Sire,  I  had  but  too  much  reason  to  expect 
your  Majesty's  displeasure.  I  did  not  come  pre- 
pared for  this  exceeding  goodness.  Pardon  me, 
Sire,  it  overpowers — it  oppresses  me,"  and,  as 
stated,  then  burst  into  tears. 

When  Pitt's  dismissal,  or  resignation,  took  place, 
and  the  news  found  its  wav  to  Rome,  Cardinal 
Stoppani  (II  politico)  observed  to  an  English 
gentleman  at  the  Vatican,  that  he  could  not  give 
credit  to  it — "  For  what  heir,"  said  he,  "  on  com- 
ing to  a  considerable  estate,  and  finding  it  excel- 
lently well  managed  by  a  steward,  would  dismiss 
that  steward  merely  because  he  had  served  his 
predecessor?" 

Amongst  the  various  public  compliments  of 
joy  and  respect  on  account  of  the  royal  nuptials 
and  coronation,  was  a  pastoral  called  Arcadia, 
written  by  Lloyd,  and  brought  out  at  Drury-lane ; 
but,  though  the  manager  exerted  all  his  powers  to 
promote  its  success,  it  was  but  short-lived.  The 
coronation  was  also  followed  by  a  stage  represen- 
tation at  both  winter  theatres  ;  and  Davies  tells  us 
in  his  Life  of  Garrick,  that  this  manager  displayed 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  265 

an  extraordinary  degree  of  parsimony  in  his  pre- 
paration, availing  himself  merely  of  some  old  pro- 
perty, once  extremely  magnificent,  when  first  ex- 
hibited in  1727,  and  then  attended  with  great 
profit  to  the  managers,  who  brought  forward  the 
whole  strength  of  the  house  in  Henry  VIII. 
Though  Garrick  knew  that  his  rival  (Rich)* 

*  Some  whimsical  contemporary  anecdotes  of  this  eccentric 
manager  deserve  a  place  here.  A  country  performer,  who,  pre- 
haps,  might  have  offered  no  inconsiderable  share  of  incense, 
prevailed  so  much  upon  Rich,  that  he  permitted  him  to  make 
his  debut  at  Covent-Garden  theatre  in  Hamlet.  The  man  shewed 
himself  totally  disqualified  for  the  part  from  his  first  scene;  but 
when  he  came  to  the  celebrated  soliloquy  of  "  To  be,  or  not 
to  be,"  he  unfortunately  wanted  to  blow  his  nose  ;  but  being  as 
unfortunately  provided  with  no  pocket  handkerchief,  he  had 
recourse  to  his  usual  habit  of  the  fingers,  which  set  the  audi- 
ence in  such  a  roar  of  laughter  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty 
the  rest  of  the  play  could  be  dragged  through. 

Rich,  who  stood  upon  tenter-hooks  at  the  side  of  the  scene 
through  the  whole  course  of  the  representation,  said  nothing 
till  the  play  was  over,  when,  going  up  to  the  performer,  he  ex- 
claimed, "  Mr. ,  I  believe  you  to  be  a  very  good  kind  of  a 

man,  and  know  you  to  be  a  good  companion,  but  as  to  acting, 
G — d  d — n  me,  Mr.  — — ,  you  must  go  blow  your  nose  at  some 
other  theatre." 

The  criterion  of  his  pecuniary  success  as  a  manager  he 
calculated  by  the  following  custom,  which  he  continued  for  a 
great  series  of  years  before  his  death.  He  lived  at  the  back  of 
his  own  theatre,  the  passage  to  which  was  by  a  long  entry  next 
door  to  the  Bedford  coffee-house ;  here  he  had  an  iron  closet, 
built  in  the  wall  of  a  private  room,  in  which  he  had  a  drawer 
peculiarly  appropriated  for  keeping  his  ready  money  :  when 


266  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

would  spare  no  expense  at  the  other  house,  and 
was  aware  also  that  he  had  considerable  taste  in 
ordering,  dressing,  and  setting  out  pompous  pro- 
cessions, superior  to  his  own,  yet  he  was  con- 
tented with  reviving  "  The  Coronation,"  with 
those  old  dresses  which  were  now  almost  worn 
out ;  forcing  it  on  the  public  for  near  forty  nights 
successively,  sometimes  at  the  end  of  a  play,  and 
sometimes  after  a  farce.  But  then  he  surprised 
the  audience  with  opening  the  back  of  the  stage 
into  Drury-lane,  where  a  real  bonfire  was  exhi- 
bited, with  the  populace  huzzaing,  and  drinking 
porter  to  the  health  of  Anne  Boleyn ;  whilst  the 
stage  was  paraded  by  dukes,  duchesses,  arch- 
bishops, heralds,   &c.   but  nearly  hid  from  view, 

the  guineas  swelled  up  to  a  certain  ring  near  the  top  of  this 
drawer,  the  world  went  well,  and  the  manager  was  in  spirits; 
but  whenever  there  was  an  ebb,  he  was  in  an  ill  humour,  curs- 
ing the  tragedians  and  comedians  of  high  salaries,  and  extolling 
the  never-failing  resources  of  pantomime.  On  the  successful 
run  of  one  of  his  pantomimes  (we  believe  it  was  "  Harlequin 
Dr.Faustus")  this  iron  drawer  ran  over,  and  Rich  was  in  such  a 
transport  of  joy  on  the  occasion,  that  he  declared,  as  soon  as 
ever  his  engagements  with  the  tragedy  ranters  were  over,  he 
should  exhibit  nothing  but  pantomime  at  his  theatre. 

His  last  grand  scenic  exhibition  was  the  representation  of 
"  The  Coronation,"  for  which  he  went  to  such  expenses  that 
his  bare  bill  for  velvets  came  to  four  thousand  pounds.  The 
success  of  it,  however,  fully  repaid  him  ,  and  he  had  the  sa- 
tisfaction to  close  a  long  life  in  the  uniform  pursuit  of  a  favour- 
ite and  profitable  amusement. 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  267 

being  covered  with  a  thick  fog  from  the  effects  of 
the  weather  and  the  smoke  of  the  fire,  which  cer- 
tainly had  the  effect  of  hiding  the  paltry  dresses 
of  the  procession,  but  with  another  unpleasant 
consequence,  giving  severe  colds  and  rheumatisms 
to  the  various  actors  by  their  exposure  to  the  cur- 
rent of  an  ungenial  atmosphere. 

The  public  indignation  at  length  put  an  end  to 
this  absurdity,  but  not  until  for  nights  the  benches 
had  been  nearly  empty,  when  the  few  who  re- 
mained on  the  last  time  of  performance  fairly 
drove  the  actors  off  the  stage. 

Rich's  performance  being  now  nearly  com- 
pleted, public  attention  was  turned  towards  it, 
notwithstanding  their  disappointment  at  Drury ; 
and  it  was  soon  after  brought  out,  with  such  a 
profusion  of  fine  clothes,  velvets,  silks,  satin, 
laces,  feathers,  jewels,  as  had  never  before  been 
exhibited  upon  any  stage.  A  serious  dispute 
arose  on  the  occasion,  between  the  two  celebrated 
actresses  of  the  day,  Mrs.  Bellamy  and  Mrs.  Ha- 
milton, which  of  them  should  represent  the 
Queen ;  neither  of  the  ladies  would  resign  her 
pretension  to  the  honour ;  and  Mr.  Rich  settled 
the  matter  by  introducing  the  afterwards  admi- 
rable actress,  Mrs.  Mattocks,  then  Miss  Hallam, 
for  the  first  time  on  the  stage,  who  was  exactly 
the  age  of  the  Queen,  and  was  then  extremely 
like  her  Majesty  in  figure. 


268  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  the  Parliament  met ; 
his  Majesty  went  to  the  House  of  Peers,  and  being 
in  his  royal  robes  seated  on  the  throne  with  the 
usual  solemnity,  Sir  Septimus  Robinson,  Knt. 
Usher  of  the  Black  Rod,  was  sent  with  a  message 
to  the  House  of  Commons,  commanding  their  at- 
tendance in  the  House  of  Peers ;  the  Commons 
being  come  thither,  his  Majesty  signified  his  plea- 
sure to  them,  by  the  Lord  Chancellor,  that  they 
should  return  to  their  House  and  choose  their 
Speaker,  and  present  him  on  Friday  next,  at  one 
o'clock.  They  returned  accordingly,  and  unani- 
mously chose  Sir  John  Cust,  Bart. 

On  the  6th  his  Majesty  opened  the  new  Parlia- 
ment, in  a  speech  the  first  point  of  which*  was 


*  "  My  Lords,  and  Gentlemen, 

"  At  the  opening  of  the  first  Parliament  summoned  and 
elected  under  my  authority,  I  with  pleasure  take  notice  of  an 
event  which  has  made  me  completely  happy,  and  given  uni- 
versal joy  to  my  loving  subjects.  My  marriage  with  a  Prin- 
cess, eminently  distinguished  by  every  virtue  and  amiable 
endowment,  whilst  it  affords  me  all  possible  domestic  comfort, 
cannot  but  highly  contribute  to  the  happiness  of  my  kingdoms; 
which  has  been,  and  always  shall  be,  my  first  object  in  every 
action  of  my  life. 

"  It  has  been  my  earnest  wish  that  this  first  period  of  my 
reign  might  be  marked  with  another  felicity ;  the  restoring  of 
the  blessings  of  peace  to  my  people,  and  putting  an  end  to  the 
calamities  of  war,  under  which  so  great  a  part  of  Europe  suf- 
fers.    But  though  overtures  were   made  to  me,  and  my  good 


17G1.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  269 

his  recent  "  marriage  with  a  Princess  eminently 
distinguished  by  every  virtue  and  amiable  endow- 
ment, which,  whilst  it  affords  me  all  possible  do- 
mestic comfort,  cannot  but  highly  contribute  to 
the  happiness  of  my  kingdoms  ;  which  has  been, 
and  always  shall  be,  my  first  object  in  every 
action  of  my  life."  He  then  noticed  the  attempt 
which  he  had  made  to  bring  about  a  general 
peace ;  which  being  fruitless,  he  was  determined 
to  prosecute  the  war  with  the  greatest  vigour ; 
and  concluded  by  recommending  to  the  Legisla- 
ture the  consideration  of  a  proper  dowry  for  her 
Majesty. 

The  9th  of  November  was  the  most  brilliant 
Lord  Mayor's  day  which  had  been  seen  for  many 

brother  and  ally  the  King  of  Prussia,  by  the  several  belligerent 
Powers,  in  order  to  a  general  pacification,  for  which  purpose  a 
congress  was  appointed  ;  and  propositions  were  made  to  me  by 
France,  for  a  particular  peace  with  that  Crown,  which  were 
followed  by  an  actual  negotiation  ;  yet  that  congress  hath  not 
hitherto  taken  place,  and  the  negotiation  with  France  is  en- 
tirely broken  off. 

"  The  sincerity  of  my  disposition  to  effectuate  this  good  work 
has  been  manifested  in  the  progress  of  it ;  and  I  have  the  con- 
solation to  reflect,  that  the  continuance  of  the  war,  and  the  far- 
ther effusion  of  Christian  blood,  to  which  it  was  the  desire  of 
my  heart  to  put  a  stop,  cannot  with  justice  be  imputed  to  me. 

"  Our  military  operations  have  been  in  no  degree  suspended 
or  delayed  ;  and  it  has  pleased  God  to  grant  us  farther  im- 
portant successes,  by  the  conquest  of  the  islands  of  Belleislc 
and  Dominica  ;  and  by  the  reduction  of  Pondicherrv,  which 


270  GEORGE    Tilt    THIRD,  1761. 

years.  The  Aldermen,  &c.  met  at  the  Mansion- 
house,  and  the  Lord  Mayor  elect,  in  his  state 
coach,  with  the  usual  attendants,  departed  from 
thence  to  the  Three  Cranes,  from  whence  they 
proceeded  in  barges  to  Westminster,  where  his 
lordship  was  sworn  in  before  the  barons  of  the 
exchequer. 

hath  in  a  manner  annihilated  the  French  power  in  the  East 
Indies.  In  other  parts,  where  the  enemy's  numhers  were 
greatly  superior,  their  principal  designs  and  projects  have 
been  generally  disappointed,  by  a  conduct  which  does  the 
highest  honour  to  the  distinguished  capacity  of  my  General 
Prince  Ferdinand  of  Brunswick,  and  by  the  valour  of  my  troops. 
The  magnanimity  and  ability  of  the  King  of  Prussia  have  emi- 
nently appeared  in  resisting  such  numerous  armies,  and  sur- 
mounting so  great  difficulties. 

"  In  this  situation  I  am  glad  to  have  an  opportunity  of  re- 
ceiving the  truest  information  of  the  sense  of  my  people,  by  a 
new  choice  of  their  representatives.  I  am  fully  persuaded 
you  will  agree  with  me  in  opinion,  that  the  steady  exertion  of 
our  most  vigorous  efforts,  in  every  part  where  the  enemy  may 
still  be  attacked  with  advantage,  is  the  only  means  that  can  be 
productive  of  such  a  peace  as  may  with  reason  be  expected 
from  our  successes.  It  is  therefore  my  fixed  resolution,  with 
your  concurrence  and  support,  to  carry  on  the  war  in  the  most 
effectual  manner,  for  the  interest  and  advantage  of  my  king- 
doms; and  to  maintain,  to  the  utmost  of  my  power,  the  good 
faith  and  honour  of  my  Crown,  by  adhering  firmly  to  the 
engagements  entered  into  with  my  allies.  In  this  I  will  perse- 
vere, until  my  enemies,  moved  by  their  own  losses  and  dis- 
tresses, and  touched  with  the  miseries  of  so  many  nations,  shall 
yield  to  the  equitable  conditions  of  an  honourable  peace  ;  in 
which  case,  as  well  as  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war,  I  do  assure 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  271 

While  that  ceremony  was  performing,  their 
Majesties,  with  the  Royal  family,  honoured  the 
City  with  their  presence,  in  order  to  view  his 
lordship's  procession,  and  afterwards  to  dine  at 
Guildhall.  Their  Majesties  were  attended,  as  they 
passed  from  St.  James's  to  the  City,  with  the 
loudest  acclamations  of  joy.     Scaffoldings  were 

you,  no  consideration  whatever  shall  make  me  depart  from 
the  true  interests  of  these  my  kingdoms,  and  the  honour  and 
dignity  of  my  Crown. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of  Commons, 

"  I  am  heartily  sorry  that  the  necessity  of  large  supplies 
appears  so  clearly  from  what  has  already  been  mentioned. 
The  proper  estimates  for  the  services  of  the  ensuing  year  shall 
be  laid  before  you ;  and  I  desire  you  to  grant  me  such  supplies 
as  may  enable  me  to  prosecute  the  war  with  vigour,  and  as 
your  own  welfare  and  security,  in  the  present  critical  conjunc- 
ture, require;  that  we  may  happily  put  the  last  hand  to  this 
great  work.  Whatsoever  you  give,  shall  be  duly  and  faithfully 
applied. 

rt  I  dare  say  your  aiFectionate  regard  for  me  and  the  Queen 
makes  you  go  before  me  in  what  I  am  next  to  mention,  the 
making  an  adequate  and  honourable  provision  for  her  support, 
in  case  she  should  survive  me.  This  is  what  not  only  her  royal 
dignity,  but  her  own  merit  calls  for ;  and  I  earnestly  recom- 
mend it  to  your  consideration. 

"  My  Lords,  and  Gentlemen, 
"  I  have  such  a  confidence  in  the  zeal  and  good  affections  of 
this  Parliament,  that  I  think  it  quite  superfluous  to  use  any  ex- 
hortations to  excite  you  to  a  right  conduct.  I  will  only  add, 
that  there  never  was  a  situation  in  which  unanimity,  firmness, 
and  dispatch  were  more  necessary  for  the  safety,  honour,  and 
true  interest  of  Great  Britain." 


272  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1761. 

built  at  many  of  the  houses  in  the  City,  and  the 
concourse  of  people  who  were  assembled  was 
almost  incredible.  Four  regiments  of  the  London 
militia  met  at  their  respective  parades,  between 
the  hours  of  seven  and  eight  in  the  morning,  and 
were  under  arms  till  evening. 

The  manner  in  which  this  visit  was  paid  took 
place  as  follows  : — 

The  Duke  of  Cumberland,  in  his  coach  drawn 
by  six  horses,  preceded  and  followed  by  guards. 

Princess  Amelia  in  the  same  manner. 

The  Duke  of  York,  in  a  new  state  coach,  in  the 
same  manner,  and  likewise  followed  by  a  nume- 
rous retinue. 

Prince  William,  Prince  Henry,  and  Prince  Fre- 
derick, in  one  coach,  in  the  same  manner,  with  a 
numerous  retinue. 

The  Princess  Dowager  of  Wales,  the  Princess 
Augusta,  and  the  Princess  Caroline  Matilda,  in 
one  coach,  preceded  by  twelve  footmen  with 
black  caps,  and  with  guards,  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  others,  and  a  grand  retinue. 

Their  Majesties  in  their  state  coach,  preceded 
by  the  Earl  of  Harcourt  in  his  chariot,  and  the 
Dukes  of  Rutland  and  Devonshire  in  another  cha- 
riot, the  grenadier  guards,  and  the  yeomen  of  the 
guards,  and  followed  by  a  corps  of  the  horse 
guards,  passed  on  to  St.  Paul's  Church-yard,  at 
the  east  end  of  which  a  scaffold  was  erected  for 


1761.      HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         273 

the  reception  of  the  boys  educated  at  Christ's 
hospital ;  where  a  speech  was  addressed  with  all 
humility  to  the  Kings  most  excellent  Majesty,  by 
the  senior  scholar  of  the  grammar-school  on  that 
foundation. 

As  soon  as  he  had  finished,  the  boys  in  a  grand 
chorus  chanted,  "God  save  the  King,"  Amen ;  and 
the  senior  scholar  delivered  two  copies  of  the 
speech  to  the  King  and  Queen. 

From  thence  they  went  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Barclay,  opposite  to  Bow-church,  which  was  on 
this  occasion  decorated  in  a  very  sumptuous  man- 
ner; the  rooms,  balcony,  &c.  being  hung  with 
crimson  damask ;  'and  from  this  house  they  saw 
the  procession  of  the  Lord  Mayor,  &c.  Barclay, 
who  was  the  only  surviving  son  of  Robert 
Barclay,  author  of  the  famous  Apology  for  the 
Quakers,  was  then  81  years  of  age,  and  had  lived 
many  years  at  his  house  in  Cheapside,  during 
which  period  he  had  enjoyed  the  singular  honour 
of  receiving  three  successive  sovereigns,  when  at 
their  accessions  they  favoured  the  city  with  the 
royal  presence. 

Though  both  their  Majesties  considered  this 
visit  to  the  honest  quaker  as  devoid  of  etiquette, 
yet  his  family  contrived  to  maintain  an  elegant 
decorum,  without  infringing  upon  their  own  pri- 
mitive simplicity,  the  house  too  being  completely 
filled  with   the  Friends,   whose  curiosity  was  as 

VOL.  I.  t 


274  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G1. 

much  on    tiptoe  as '  that   of  the  most  worldly- 
minded. 

The  Queen  entered  first,  and  the  King  followed 
without  ceremony,  and  even  permitted  the  Barclay 
family  to  kiss  his  hand  without  kneeling,  meeting 
them  himself  familiarly  at  the  drawing-room  door, 
as  they  entered  after  he  had  first  shewn  himself  to 
the  crowds  in  the  street,  saluting  them  all  with 
great  politeness,  and  winning  the  hearts  of  those 
worthy  people  by  his  condescension. 

The  King's  example  of  kissing  all  the  fawn- 
coloured  ladies  was  followed  by  the  Princes  his 
brothers,  and  by  his  royal  uncle ;  but  this  latter 
part  of  the  ceremony  was  not  performed  until  the 
moment  of  departure,  and  after  their  Majesties 
had  quitted  the  apartment. 

A  little  grand-daughter  of  Mr.  Barclay  was  in- 
troduced to  the  Queen  in  a  retiring  apartment, 
and  performed  kissing  hands  with  so  much  grace, 
that  the  Queen  could  not  help  remarking  it  to  his 
Majesty,  when  Miss  was  sent  for  to  the  drawing- 
room,  and  afforded  great  entertainment  to  him, 
as  she  appeared  in  true  Quaker  simplicity,  and 
said,  that  though  she  must  not  love  fine  things, 
yet  she  loved  the  King,  and  apologized  for  not 
making  a  courtesy,  by  stating  that  her  grand-papa, 
would  never  permit  her  to  do  so. 

Amidst  all  this  bustle,  the  King  never  sat  down, 
nor   would  he  take  any  refreshment ;  the  Queen 


17G1.  HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  275 

indeed  took  tea,  which  the  family  had  the  honour 
of  presenting  to  the  lady  in  waiting,  who  knelt  in 
presenting  it  to  her  Majesty,  thus  gratifying  the 
Quakers  by  the  honour,  and  absolving  their  con- 
sciences from  the  slur  of  "  bending  the  knee  to 
Baal." 

The  civic  procession  being  very  late,  their  Ma- 
jesties stopped  until  seven  o'clock ;  sending  every 
body  away  before  them,  except  the  two  ladies  in 
waiting,  and  remaining  quietly  till  the  bustle  was 
over,  without  either  guards  or  attendants  in  the 
house,  the  life  guards  being '  merely  drawn  up  in 
Bow  Church-yard;  yet  so  careful  was  the  King 
of  the  property  of  his  worthy  host,  that  he  ordered 
a  party  of  guards  to  be  stationed  before  the  house 
after  his  departure,  to  prevent  any  damage  being- 
clone  by  the  mob  to  the  canopy  and  other  decora- 
tions. 

The  processsion  being  ended,  the  Royal  Family 
were  conducted  by  the  sheriffs  to  Guildhall ;  at 
the  entrance  of  which  they  were  received  by  the 
Lord  Mayor,  who,  kneeling,  presented  the  City 
sword  to  the  King;  which  his  Majesty  graciously 
pleasing  to  return,  it  was  carried  before  him  by 
his  lordship  to  the  council-chamber,  where  the 
compliments  of  the  city  were  made  him.  From 
thence,  in  like  manner,  the  Royal  Family  pro- 
ceeded to  the  hustings,  where  a  most  magnificent 
entertainment  was  provided. 

t2 


270  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  17G1. 

This'entertainment  was  the  most  splendid,  most 
elegant,  most  sumptuous,  and  best  conducted,  of 
any  that  had  been  given  in  this  kingdom  in  the 
memory  of  man ;  and  did  honour  to  the  munifi- 
cence and  taste  of  the  great  and  opulent  City  of 
London.  His  Majesty  and  all  the  Royal  Family 
expressed  their  approbation ;  and  the  nobility  and 
foreign  ministers  unanimously  acknowledged  it 
was  beyond  any  thing  they  had  ever  seen. 

On  returning,  his  Majesty  did  not  forget  his 
primitive  friends  in  Cheapside,  but  looked  for  the 
Barclay  family,  who  were  still  waiting  to  see  the 
procession,  and  paid  them  the  most  marked  per- 
sonal compliments  in  passing,  shewing  that  the 
feelings  of  the  gentleman  were  not  lost  in  the 
splendid  etiquette  of  the  Monarch. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  at  a  court  of  common- 
council,  a  motion  was  made,  "That  his  Majesty's 
statue  be  erected  on  the  Royal  Exchange,  amongst 
those  of  his  predecessors  ;  and  the  pictures  of  his 
Majesty,  and  his  Royal  Consort,  be  put  up  in  the 
Guildhall  of  this  City;" and  unanimously  resolved. 
Another  motion  was  made,  "  That  the  committee, 
who  were  appointed  to  prepare  the  late  entertain- 
ment of  their  Majesties  and  the  Royal  Family,  do 
employ  fit  persons,  and  give  proper  orders  and 
directions,  for  making  the  said  statue  and  drawing 
the  said  pictures ;  and  that,  in  order  thereunto,  they 
do  make  their  humble  application  to  his  Majesty, 


1761.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         277 

and  his  royal  consort  our  most  gracious  Queen, 
that  they  will  be  pleased  to  do  this  City  the  honour 
to  sit  for  their  pictures,  and  to  signify  their  royal 
pleasure  therein ;  and  that  the  said  committee  do 
at  the  same  time  express  to  his  Majesty  the  deep 
and  grateful  sense  which  this  court  will  ever  re- 
tain of  his  Majesty's  gracious  condescension  in 
honouring  their  late  entertainment  at  Guildhall 
with  his  royal  presence,  and  that  of  his  most 
august  Consort  and  Royal  Family ;"  also  unani- 
mously resolved  in  the  affirmative. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  session  his  Majesty  mani- 
fested great  patriotism  in  regard  to  his  own  revenues . 
The  message  on  this  subject,  which  was  on  the 
25th  of  November,  was  that  his  Majesty,  ever  de- 
sirous of  giving  the  most  substantial  proofs  of  his 
tender  regard  to  the  welfare  of  his  people,  was 
pleased  to  signify  his  consent,  that,  whenever  the 
House  of  Commons  should  enter  upon  the  conside- 
ration of  making  provision  for  the  support  of  his 
household,  and  of  the  honour  and  dignity  of  the 
crown,  such  disposition  might  be  made  of  his 
Majesty's  interest  in  the  hereditary  revenues  of 
the  crown  as  should  best  conduce  to  the  utility 
and  satisfaction  of  the  public.  This  message  was 
instantly  referred  to  the  committee  of  supply,  and 
a  bill,  in  due  course,  brought  in,  settling  the 
civil  list  at  800,000/.  per  annum  ;  and  it  must  be 
remembered,  that  although  the  hereditary  reve- 


278  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1761. 

nues  of  the  crown,  during  the  first,  the  second,  and 
the  twentieth  years  of  the  preceding  reign  had 
been  so  far  deficient  as  to  require  supplies  from 
parliament,  yet  during  thirty  years  of  that  reign 
the  civil  list  fund  had  yearly  produced  more 
than  800,000/. 

All  legislative  financial  arrangements  having 
been  settled,  on  Wednesday  the  2d  of  December 
his  Majesty  went  with  the  usual  state,  attended 
by  the  Right  Hon.  Lord  Delawar  and  Lord  Ro- 
bert Bertie,  to  the  House  of  Peers,  and  gave  the 
royal  assent  to  the  bill  for  settling  the  dowry  of 
the  Queen,  in  case  she  should  survive  his  Majesty. 
Her  Majesty  was  likewise  present  to  make  an 
acknowledgement,  usual  on  such  an  occasion, 
seated  on  a  chair  of  state,  from  whence  she  arose, 
and  made  her  obeisance  to  the  King  most  grace- 
fully. The  provision  was  the  same  as  for  Queen 
Caroline;  100,000/.  per  annum,  with  Richmond 
Old  Park,  and  Somerset-house  annexed,  in  case 
she  should  survive  his  Majesty.  Also  a  patent 
passed  the  privy  seal,  granting  unto  her  Majesty 
the  sum  of  40,000/.  yearly,  for  the  better  support 
of  her  dignity. 

In  the  course  of  the  month,  he  completed  his 
purchase  of  Buckingham-house  for  21,000/.  and 
presented  it  to  the  Queen,  who  was  so  much 
pleased  with  it  as  a  town  residence,  that  it  was 
immediately  fitted  up  with  selected  furniture  from 


1761.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  279 

the  other  palaces,  and  ornamented  with  some  of 
the  best  pictures  in  the  royal  collection.  The  in- 
tention of  the  royal  pair  in  thus  selecting  a  resi- 
dence distinct  from  the  official  palace,  as  St. 
James's  may  be  styled,  was  evidently  to  retire 
from  court  etiquette  to  domestic  tranquillity,  ex- 
cept when  the  forms  of  state  required  the  assump- 
tion of  regal  ceremony — an  object  which  they  could 
not  have  attained  whilst  residing  in  the  state  apart- 
ments of  the  palace,  from  whence  the  partial  or 
temporary  exclusion  of  state  officers  and  courtly 
attendants  would  have  been  impossible,  or  at  least 
ungracious.  Much  good  sense  was  therefore  dis- 
played by  this  arrangement,  which  permitted  the 
Royal  Family  to  enjoy  domestic  quiet  like  the 
happiest  of  their  subjects,  without  interfering  with 
the  forms  of  state  absolutely  necessary  on  public 
days,  or  official  business. 

Some,  indeed,  found  fault  with  this  system, 
talking  of  Asiatic  seclusion,  and  seeming  to  think 
that  the  whirl  and  bustle  of  an  open  Court,  as  in 
the  days  of  Charles  II.,  or  the  stiff  German  gran- 
deur, familiarizing  into  formal  card-parties,  of  the 
preceding  Georges,  ought  to  have  been  adopted  ; 
but  the  King  had  a  better  taste,  and  wisely  judged 
that  if  he  paid  a  strict  attention  to  the  necessary 
forms  of  government  and  of  public  ceremonial,  he 
had  as  good  a  right  as  any  of  his  subjects  to  avail 
himself  of   British  liberty,  and  pass  his  leisure 


*, 


280  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1761 

agreeably  to  his  own  liking,  and  his  own  sense  of 
propriety. 

That  his  retiring  mode  of  life  could  not  proceed 
from  any  other  motives,  is  evident  from  a  letter 
of  Wal  pole's,  who,  in1  describing  the  etiquette  at 
St.  James's,  says — "  The  King  himself  seems  all 
good  nature,  and  wishing  to  satisfy  every  body  ; 
all  his  speeches  are  obliging.  I  saw  him  again 
yesterday,  and  was  surprised  to  find  the  levee-^ 
room  had  lost  so  entirely  the  air  of  the  lion's  den. 
This  sovereign  don't  stand  in  one  spot,  with  his 
eyes  royally  fixed  on  the  ground,  and  dropping 
bits  of  German  news  ;  he  walks  about  and  speaks 
to  every  body.  I  saw  him  afterwards  on  the 
throne,  where  he  is  graceful  and  genteel,  sits  with 
dignity,  and  reads  his  answers  to  addresses  well." 

Soon  after  the  royal  nuptials,  his  Majesty  gave 
a  proof  of  his  true  English  feeling  in  regard  to 
the  manufactures  of  his  country  ;  for  the  Earl 
Temple,  then  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Bucks,  having 
been  requested  by  Mr.  Lowndes,  M.  P.  for  the 
county,  on  behalf  of  the  lace  manufacturers,  to 
present  to  the  young  Monarch  a  pair  of  fine  ruffles 
made  at  Newport  Pagneil,  his  Majesty,  after  ex- 
amining them  minutely j  and  asking  many  ques- 
tions concerning  that  branch  of  trade,  was  most 
graciously  pleased  to  express  himself  that  the 
inclinations  of  his  own  heart  naturally  led  him  to 
set  a  high  value  upon  every  endeavour  to  improve 


1762.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  281 

any  English  manufacture  ;  and  that  whatever  had 
such  a  recommendation  would  be  preferred  by 
him  to  works,  possibly  of  higher  perfection,  made 
in  any  other  country. 

1762. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1762,  although  negotia- 
tions had  been  for  some  time  going  on  for  a  gene- 
ral peace,  a  declaration  of  war  was  issued  against 
Spain  ;  but  the  affair  was  popular,  and  the  people, 
though  they  knew  that  their  Sovereign  was  averse 
from  war,  were  in  good  humour  with  him  also,  as 
he  seemed  to  study  their  welfare  even  in  points  of 
state  and  ceremony,  as  exemplified  at  the  com- 
mencement of  this  year,  in  fixing  the  celebration 
of  the  Queen's  birth-day  for  the  18th  of  January, 
instead  of  its  real  anniversary  within  a  few  days 
of  his  own,  so  as  to  divide  the  year  equally,  and 
thus  encourage  both  winter  and  summer  fashions 
in  articles  of  court  dress  and  equipage. 

The  foreign  transactions  of  this  year  present 
something  similar  to  our  more  recent  Peninsular 
campaigns,  in  our  defence  of  Portugal  from  the 
united  invasion  of  France  and  Spain ;  but  it  is 
not  our  intention  to  enter  deeper  into  that  subject 
than  to  notice  his  Majesty's  good  faith  to  Portugal, 
and  which  induced  him  to  forego  his  own  pacific 
wishes,  and  enter  with  spirit  upon  plans  for  her 
preservation,    which  were  finally  successful    to- 


282  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1762. 

wards  the  close  of  the  year,  by  the  gallantry  of 
the  British  reinforcements. 

That  his  Majesty  was  personally  averse,  if  it 
could  have  been  honourably  avoided,  to  the  ex- 
tension of  warfare,  is  evident  from  his  speech  on 
the  breaking  out  of  this  war;  a  speech  delivered  on 
the  19th  of  January,  six  weeks  after  the  detention 
of  British  shipping  in  the  Spanish  ports. 

His  Majesty  observed  to  his  parliament,  that  as 
he  had  so  often  assured  them  of  his  sincere  dispo- 
sition to  put  an  end  to  the  calamities  of  war,  and 
to  restore  the  public  tranquillity  on  solid  and 
lasting  foundations,  so  did  he  feel  convinced  that 
no  impartial  person,  either  at  home  or  abroad, 
could  suspect  him  of  unnecessarily  kindling  a 
new  war  in  Europe  :  but  in  that  case  he  had 
found  himself  indispensably  obliged  to  declare 
war  against  Spain,  for  the  various  causes  as  set 
forth  in  the  public  declaration. 

He  then  animadverted  strongly  on  the  marked 
good-will  manifested  towards  Spain  for  many 
years,  both  by  his  predecessor  and  himself,  so  that 
he  was  even  astonished  at  the  engagements  en- 
tered into  between  that  country  and  France. 

He  averred,  and  indeed  with  great  truth,  that 
he  had  used  every  means  possible  to  prevent  the 
rupture ;  but  it  was  then  become  inevitable — for 
its  issue  he  depended  upon  the  Divine  blessing 
on  the  justice  of  his  cause,  and  he  felt  the  honour 


17G2.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         283 

of  the  crown,  and  the  interests  of  the  kingdom, 
safe  in  the  hands  of  parliament. 

Some  new  ministerial  arrangements  took  place 
in  May,  when  Lord  Bute  became  first  lord  of  the 
treasury,  and  prime  minister  in  the  room  of  the 
Duke  of  Newcastle  ;  but  the  war  of  politics  at 
home,  and  of  military  enterprise  abroad,  did  not 
prevent  the  King  from  paying  that  attention  to 
science  and  literature  which  has  distinguished  his 
reign,  notwithstanding  the  discontented  clamour 
of  disappointed  individuals,  who  consider  patron- 
age of  their  abilities  as  the  only  test  of  judgment. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  a  pension  of  300/.  was 
granted  to  Johnson,  at  the  instance  of  the  prime 
minister,  with  the  generous  assurance  from  Ma- 
jesty itself,  that  it  was  not  a  retaining  fee  for 
future  services,  but  a  reward  for  merit. 

Sheridan  also,  father  of  the  late  admired  orator, 
enjoyed  the  royal  bounty  in  a  pension  of  200/. 
conferred  upon  him  for  the  express  purpose  of 
enabling  that  philologist  to  continue  his  literary 
researches  for  the  improvement  of  the  English 
language. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  in  the  preceding 
year  his  Majesty  subscribed  100/.  towards  print- 
ing Thomson's  Works  ;  the  profits  of  which  were 
to  erect  his  monument,  and  to  afford  relief  to  some 
poor  relatives. 

About  this  period  his  Majesty  gave  great  en- 


284  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1762. 

couragement  to  the  Society  for  the  preservation 
and  performance  of  Ancient  Music  :  and  his  taste 
for  the  arts  in  general,  is  well  exemplified  in  a 
letter  from  Rome  which  says  : — 

"  Nothing  gives  me  more  satisfaction  than  to 
find  so  many  fine  things  purchased  for  the  King  of 
Great  Britain.  He  is  now  master  of  the  best  col- 
lection of  drawings  in  the  world,  having  purchased 
two  or  three  capital  collections  in  this  city ; 
the  last,  belonging  to  Cardinal  Albanis,  for  four- 
teen thousand  crowns,  consists  of  three  thousand 
large  volumes,  one  third  of  which  are  original 
drawings  of  the  best  masters ;  the  others,  collec- 
tions of  the  most  capital  engravings.  And  lately 
there  has  been  purchased  for  his  Majesty,  all  the 
museum  of  Mr.  Smith,  at  Venice,  consisting  of 
his  library,  prints,  drawings,  designs,  &c.  I  think 
it  is  highly  probable  that  the  arts  and  sciences 
will  flourish  in  Great  Britain,  under  the  protection 
and  encouragement  of  a  monarch,  who  is  himself 
an  excellent  judge  of  merit  in  the  fine  arts." 

Mr.  Smith  had  long  been  resident  as  consul  at 
Venice,  and  one  great  point  of  value  in  his  collec- 
tion was  its  possessing  a  most  copious  list  of  the 
first  printed  editions  of  the  classic  authors.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  purchases  was  that  of  King  Charles's 
MSS.  and  printed  tracts,  to  the  number  of  30,000, 
which  had  fallen  into  private  hands,  but  were  now 
presented  by  his  Majesty  to  the  British  Museum. 


1762.  HIS    COURT,    AISTD    FAMILY.  285 

He  also  evinced  a  desire  to  encourage  painting, 
by  his  declared  intention  of  granting  a  Royal 
Charter  for  that  purpose,  and  by  the  foundation 
of  the  Royal  Academy,  an  institution  which  had 
been  long  talked  of,  though  perhaps  checked  in 
its  progress  to  perfection  by  the  rivalry  of  the 
artists  themselves.* 

*  We  subjoin  the  following  pertinent  remarks  from  an 
agreeable  periodical  Work: — "  The  nation  can  never  be  suffi- 
ciently grateful  to  the  Society  '  for  the  Encouragement  of 
Arts,  Sciences,  and  Commerce,'  in  the  Adelphi,  which  dates 
from  1753,  before  his  Majesty  came  to  the  crown.  This  so- 
ciety had  proposed  premiums,  and  had  conferred  bounties  on 
pictures  of  merit;  had  brought  into  notice  many  rising  artists 
in  various  branches ;  it  had  begun  to  excite  attention  in  the 
public  mind;  it  also  accommodated  the  first  exhibition  with 
the  use  of  its  great  room.  It  had,  moreover,  taken  steps  to- 
wards encouraging  the  art  of  engraving;  yet  the  art  of  en- 
graving in  its  more  elevated  branches  as  a  national  art,  must 
be  placed  in  the  auspicious  reign  of  George  the  Third ;  for 
not  till  then  had  the  landscapes  of  Wilson  been  immortalized 
by  the  graver  of  Woollett,  or  the  prints  from  British  history 
after  West,  obtained  circulation  throughout  the  world.  Wil- 
son and  West,  and  Woollett,  were  British  artists,  as  were 
Strange  and  Hall,  M'Ardell  and  Earlom :  but  we  must  not 
overlook  the  encouragement  this  art  received  from  the  patron- 
age bestowed  by  his  Majesty  and  the  public  on  Bartolozzi,  an 
Italian,  or  the  popularity  divided  between  that  meritorious 
artist,  the  engraver,  and  his  countryman  and  fellow  student, 
Cipriani,  the  painter." 

"  The  Graphic  Arts  felt  equal  encouragement,  and  it  must  be 
acknowledged  that  t hey   received,  if  not  a  being,  yet  a  cha- 


280  GEORGE     THE    THIRD,  1762. 

About  the  year  1753,  Mr.  Sandby,  and  several 
other  members  of  an  academy  who  met  at  what 
had  previously  been  Tloubilliac's  workshop  in  St. 
Martins-lane,  wishing  to  extend  their  plan,  and 
establish  a  society  on  a  broader  basis,  held  seve- 
ral meetings  for  the  purpose  of  making  new  regu- 
lations, &c.  Concerning  these  regulations  it  may 
naturally  be  supposed  there  were  a  variety  of  opi- 
nions ;  but  Hogarth,  who  was  one  of  the  members, 

racter  and  an  establishment  in  the  reign  of  his  late  Majesty, 
who  gave  first  of  all  a  charter  of  incorporation  to  a  society  of 
artists  (dated  January  1705),  whose  exhibitions  had  begun  in 
1760.  The  royal  bounty  presented  them  with  an  annual  dona- 
tion of  one  hundred  pounds.  The  Royal  Academy  was  insti- 
tuted some  years  afterwards.  Those  only  who  recollect  the  de- 
graded state  of  the  arts  before  the  year  1760,  can  properly  ap- 
preciate the  advantages  derived  from  these  institutions.  It  is 
true,  that  Pope  complimented  Jervais,  as  bestowing  immorta- 
lity by  his  pencil;  but  who  now  quotes  as  excellent  a  picture 
by  Jervais?  and  though  Hudson  had  much  business  as  a  por- 
trait painter,  yet,  to  speak  without  undue  partiality,  the  arts  are 
under  much  greater  obligations  to  him  for  bringing  forward  a 
number  of  pupils  superior  to  himself,  than  for  any,  or  for  all,  of 
his  performances.  There  was  no  such  thing  as  an  English 
school  of  art  at  that  time,  and  foreigners  (Vanloo  may  be  cited 
as  an  instance)  were  thought  men  of  superior  talents,  because 
our  own  artists  had  no  reputation  for  talents  at  all.  If  the  reader 
now  distinguishes  in  our  public  exhibitions  portraits  that  com- 
pete with  the  best  works  of  Vandyke,  and  historical  pieces  not 
unworthy  of  the  noblest  times  of  Italy,  let  him  acknowledge 
that  these  partake  of  the  nature  of  novelties  among  us,  and 
are  not  of  long-standing  in  the  British  school." 


1762.  nrs  court,  axd  family.  287 

and  who  deservedly  held  a  very  high  rank  in  the 
arts,  disapproved  of  the  whole  scheme,  and  wished 
the  society  to  remain  as  it  then  was.    He  thought 
that  enlarging  the  number  of  students  would  in- 
duce a  crowd  of  young  men  to  quit  more  profit- 
able pursuits,  neglect  what  might  be  more  suit- 
able to  their  talents,  and  introduce  to  the  prac- 
tice of  the  arts  more  professors  than  the  arts  would 
support.     This  naturally  involved  him  in  many 
disputes  with  his  brother  artists  ;  and  as   these 
disputes  were  not  always  conducted  with  philoso- 
phic calmness,  the  satirist  sometimes  said  things 
that  his  opponents  deemed  rather  too  severe  for 
the  occasion.     On  the  publication  of  his  "  Ana- 
lysis of  Beauty,"  they  recriminated  with  interest. 
Among  the  prints  which  were  then  published  to 
ridicule  his  system  (the  line  of  beauty,  &c.)  are 
six  or  eight,  that  from  the  manner  in  which  they 
are   conceived,    and  the  uncommon    spirit   with 
which  they  are  etched,  carry  more  than  probable 
marks  of  the  bur'ni  of  Mr.  Sandby,  who  was  then 
a  very  young  man,  but  has  since  declared,  that  if 
he  had  known  Mr.  Hogarth's  merit  then,  as  well 
as  he  has  done  since,  he  would  on  no  account  have 
drawn  a  line  which  might  tend  to  his  dispraise. 

Hogarth,  no  doubt,  expected  to  take  the  lead  in 
an  affair  of  this  kind;  but  he  was  disappointed, 
and  Reynolds  became  the  president,   as  detailed 


288  GEORGE    THE   THIRD,  1762. 

in  a  masterly  manner  in  Northcote's  Memoirs  of 
that  celebrated  painter,  which  renders  further 
particulars  here  unnecessary. 

On  the  12th  of  August  the  joy  of  the  nation  was 
increased  by  the  birth  of  an  heir  to  the  throne. 
The  hope  of  continuing  the  protestant  succession 
to  his  Majesty's  family  was  now  changed  to  a  kind 
of  certainty,  and  the  birth  of  an  heir  was,  of  itself, 
sufficient  to  have  established  the  popularity  of  a 
Queen  of  England,  even  had  she  wanted  those 
many  virtues  which  her  late  Majesty  was  so  well 
known  to  possess :  and  here  we  may  therefore 
pause  in  our  narrative,  and  take  a  slight  retrospect 
of  her  who  for  so  many  years  graced  the  British 
throne.  It  has  been  well  observed  of  her,  that  as 
a  wife,  and  as  a  mother,  the  conduct  of  her  Ma- 
jesty was  in  the  highest  degree  irreproachable ; 
and  those  virtues  which  constituted  her  own  daily 
practice  she  never  dispensed  with  in  the  objects 
of  her  patronage  or  attachment.  During  the  long 
period  in  which  she  presided  over  the  English 
court,  it  was  remarkable  for  the  steady  counte- 
nance uniformly  extended  to  virtue,  and  as  uni- 
formly withdrawn  from  its  opposite.  Her  unde- 
viating  adherence  to  this  principle  sometimes  ex- 
posed her  to  the  exasperated  invectives  of  those 
who  had  to  make  the  faults  they  ridiculed  or  con- 
demned. What  every  honest  man  would  wish  to 


IECT5    IMLVJSSTT 

B0B3T  JUJGITSI  12    1762. 


1762.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  289 

see  his  daughter  become,  in  the  relations  of  do- 
mestic life,  every  unprejudiced  man  might  behold 
in  the  character  of  her  late  Majesty. 

To  appreciate  her  virtues  more  fully,  and  the 
national  advantages  resulting  from  this  union,  it 
must  be  taken  into  consideration  that  when  her 
Majesty  was  united    to  our   revered   Sovereign, 
there  was  hardly  a  Court  in  Europe  that  was  not 
marked  by  its  licentiousness.     The  vices  of  the 
French   court  notoriously  led   to  the  revolution* 
which  deluged  that  fine  country  with  blood ;  and 
it  is  equally  true,  that  the  same  cause  occasioned 
in  a  great  measure  the  horrors  with  which  Spain 
and  Naples  were  subsequently  visited.     During 
that  time  England  presented  from  the  throne  the 
example  of  those  virtues  that  form  the  great  and 
binding  links  of  the  social  chain  ;  and  to  it  we 
may  in  part  ascribe  our  happiness  in  having  with- 
stood the  storm  which  visited  the  rest  of  Europe 
with  all  the  horrors  of  invasion  or  anarchy.     This 
example  was  the  more  salutary,  as  every  thing  in 
our  situation  tended  to  an  excessive  dissoluteness 
of  manners.     Our  sudden  and  rapid  prosperity 
was  calculated  to  produce  the  greatest  moral  re- 
laxation; and  it  is  undeniable,  that  the  influence 
of  the  domestic  life  led  by  their  Majesties  power- 
fully contributed  to  check  the  torrent  of  corrup- 
tion, which,  from  a  vast  accumulation  of  wealth, 
threatened  to  overflow  the  face  of  the  country. 
vol.  i.  u 


290  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1762. 

This  ought  to  be  considered  as  a  full  counter- 
balance to  any  apparent  deficiency  of  court  eti- 
quette, that  was  so  much  complained  of  by  the 
young  and  giddy,  who  gave  the  nickname  of 
Holyrood  House  to  the  Queen's  Palace,  because 
it  was  the  scene  of  regal  retirement  from  the  toils 
of  state.  The  fact  certainly  is,  that  great  expecta- 
tions had  been  formed  among  the  nobility  of 
seeing  under  the  new  reign  a  lively  court,  full  of 
gaiety  and  splendour;  but  though  her  Majesty 
partook  of  the  public  diversions,  and  appeared 
gratified  with  the  pleasure  which  her  presence 
afforded,  she  delighted  more  in  the  tranquil  en- 
joyment of  domestic  society.  She  went  through, 
however,  the  formal  ceremonies  of  the  court-days 
with  blended  dignity  and  sweetness,  softening  the 
sense  of  her  high  station  by  the  most  condescend- 
ing gracefulness  of  manner  and  pleasantness  of 
conversation  ;  and  though  every  one  admitted  to 
her  presence  felt  the  impression  made  by  the 
appearance  of  royalty,  none  departed  without 
being  charmed  with  an  admiration  of  her  good- 
ness. But  the  crown  and  consummation  of  all 
her  other  excellencies  was  that  entire  unity  of 
affection,  which  for  above  half  a  century  knit 
together  her  heart  and  that  of  our  beloved  Mo- 
narch ;  nor  can  we  ever  reflect  but  with  a  feeling 
of  national  gratitude,  on  that  constant  personal 


1762.      HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         291 

attention  to  the  good  old  King,  which  her  Ma- 
jesty continued,  in  so  exemplary  a  manner,  to 
pay  for  years  after  he  had  become  unconscious  of 
her  tenderness. 

In  short,  their  life  at  this  period  was  simplicity 
itself;  for  the  hours  of  the  Queen  were  economized 
with  the  greatest  regularity :  the  forenoon  was 
devoted  to  reading  with  Dr.  Majendie,  who  was 
her  instructor  in  the  English  tongue :  and  in  this 
employment  his  Majesty  cheerfully  assisted  ;  so 
that  in  a  short  time  the  royal  pupil  was  not  only 
enabled  to  discourse  fluently,  but  to  write  the 
language  correctly,  and  even  with  elegance. 
Some  of  her  compositions,  both  in  prose  and 
verse,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  have  appeared 
anonymously  in  print;  and  others,  it  is  hoped, 
will  be  communicated  to  the  public.  In  the 
morning,  after  studying  and  working  at  her  needle, 
her  Majesty  generally  accompanied  the  King  in 
a  ride,  or  in  walking  round  the  gardens,  till 
dinner;  after  which,  if  there  was  no  company, 
the  Queen  played  on  the  harpsichord,  to  which 
also  she  sang  in  a  very  agreeable  and  scientific 
manner.  In  the  evening  there  was  commonly  a 
select  party  at  cards ;  though  frequently  the 
night  closed  with  a  little  family  ball,  as  the  Queen 
was  extremely  fond  of  the  exercise  of  dancing. 

Thus  passed  their  hours,  as  if  they  had  presi- 

u  2 


292  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G2. 

ded  merely  in  a  genteel  family,  though  Sove- 
reigns of  the  most  potent  nation  of  ancient  or 
modern  history. 

On  the  17th  of  August,  letters  patent  passed 
under  the  great  seal,  creating  the  young  prince 
Prince  of  Wales  and  Earl  of  Chester ;  and  some 
time  about  this  period,  Richmond-lodge,  where 
his  Majesty  had  frequently  resided  in  the  early 
part  of  his  life,  was  settled  on  the  Queen  in  case 
of  survival.  It  was  pulled  down  in  1802,  and  a 
new  palace  begun  upon  the  spot,  of  which  only 
the  foundations  were  laid,  with  a  few  arched  vaults 
that  still  remain ;  the  King  having  given  up  that 
design,  meaning  to  complete  as  a  dowry-house 
for  her  Majesty  the  Gothic  palace  which  still  re- 
mains unfinished  at  Kew. 

The  royal  christening  took  place  on  the  18th 
of  September ;  and  three  days  after,  a  grand  in- 
stallation of  the  Order  of  the  Garter  was  held  at 
Windsor,  a  ceremony  of  which  the  King  was  al- 
ways very  fond.  In  this  excursion  he  was  ac- 
companied by  the  Queen,  whose  pride  was  to 
take  pleasure  in  all  his  sources  of  delight. 

Eton  School  was  always  distinguished  by  his 
Majesty's  notice ;  and  his  first  formal  visit  to  it 
was  on  the  25th  of  September,  accompanied  by 
the  Queen,  when  the  royal  pair  were  received 
with  clue  form  and  solemnity  by  the  masters  and 
students,  a  speech  being  delivered  by  one  of  the 


1762.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  293 

boys,  and  some  sacred  music  performed  in  the 
chapel. 

The  royal  visitors  examined  every  thing  with 
great  attention,  and  expressed  much  satisfaction 
at  their  mode  of  reception  ;  their  departure  was 
hailed  by  "  Vivant  Rex  et  Regina"  and  a  hand- 
some present  was  left  by  his  Majesty's  order.* 

The  high  opinion  which  the  King  always  had 
of  Eton  is  confirmed  by  an  anecdote  of  Dr.  James, 
a  late  prebendary  of  Worcester,  and  master  of 
Rugby  School.  That  gentleman  was  one  day 
walking  on  the  terrace  at  Windsor,  accompanied 
by  Dr.  Heath,  provost  of  Eton,  when  his  Majesty 
came  up,  and  congratulated  Dr.  James  very  hear- 
tily upon  his  enlargement  and  improvement  of  the 
school  at  Rugby; — "  but  it  is  no  wonder,"  con- 
tinued the  King,  "  that  you  have  been  so  success- 
ful, having  been  yourself  educated  at  Eton!" 

Numerous  addresses  were  presented  in  the 
month  of  October  from  the  various  clerical  and 
corporate  bodies  in  the  empire  ;  and  it  is  worthy 
of  serious  remark,  that  the  clergy,  whom  it  has 
been  the  fashion  for  modern  reformers  to  designate 
as  tools  of  tyranny,  were  actually  amongst  the 
most  rational  assertors  of  liberty,  as  connected 
with  our  monarchical  constitution,  the  address  of 

*  This  present  amounted  to  250/. ;  and  soon  after  his  Ma- 
jesty sent  400/.  to  King's  College,  New  York,  and  200/.  to  a 
College  at  Philadelphia. 


294  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1762. 

the  province  of  Canterbury  stating  their  conviction 
that  the  hereditary  good  disposition  of  the  young 
Prince  would  be  solicitously  strengthened  and 
improved  by  the  daily  instruction  and  example 
of  his  parents,  who,  they  were  assured,  would 
complete  their  merit  to  these  nations  by  forming 
his  youthful  mind  to  the  love  of  liberty,  and  of 
our  civil  and  ecclesiastical  constitution;  to  a  judi- 
cious zeal  for  the  prosperity  of  Britain;  and  a 
sincere  benevolence  for  mankind  in  general. 

His  Majesty,  in  return,  assured  them  that  he 
accepted  with  thanks  their  good  wishes  and  re- 
gard thus  expressed  for  the  Queen,  and  saw  with 
particular  pleasure  their  gratitude  to  Heaven  for 
the  birth  of  a  protestant  heir.  He  added,  that 
their  opinion  of  his  fixed  intention  to  educate  that 
prince  in  every  principle  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty  was  truly  acceptable  to  him ;  and  desired 
them  to  be  confident,  that  no  endeavour  on  his 
part  should  be  wanting  to  promote  the  sacred 
interests  of  Christian  piety,  and  of  moral  virtue, 
and  to  transmit  to  posterity  our  most  happy 
constitution. 

The  dissenting  clergy  also  uttered  sentiments 
equally  devoted  to  liberty,  yet  not  less  loyal 
and  decorous,  hailing  the  young  Prince  as  the 
grand  prop  to  their  hopes  of  a  continuation  of  the 
Brunswick  family,  looking  forward  to  him  as  the 
future  friend  of  religion  and  virtue,  the  patron  of 


1762.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  295 

genius,  learning,  and  knowledge,  the  guardian  of 
liberty,  the  triumph  of  Britain,  and  the  delight  of 
human  kind;  and  "  when  you,  great  sir,  shall 
have  arrived  to  the  fulness  of  years,  prosperity,  and 
glory,  then,  and  not  till  then,  may  he  succeed  to 
the  same  honours,  and  reign  with  equal  dignity, 
happiness,  and  renown." 

A  slight  change  took  place  in  the  royal  house- 
hold in  November  by  the  Duke  of  Marlborough 
succeeding  his  Grace  of  Devonshire  as  Lord 
Chamberlain ;  and  on  the  22d  the  preliminaries 
of  peace  were  ratified,  though,  strange  to  say,  ac- 
companied by  a  great  degree  of  popular  discon- 
tent and  clamour.  It  is  needless,  however,  to  en- 
ter upon  the  terms  of  the  peace,  which  was  gene- 
rally unpopular ;  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  much 
obloquy  was  thrown  upon  the  youthful  Monarch, 
notwithstanding  his  display  of  the  most  irreproach- 
able manners,  and  of  exemplary  private  virtues. 
Some  even  went  so  far  as  to  assert  that  the  am- 
bassador had  actually  sold  his  country,  and  that 
one  exalted  female,  as  well  as  Lord  Bute,  had 
shared  in  the  spoil ;  but  the  largest  sum  named 
as  a  bribe  was  too  paltry  to  have  had  any  effect 
even  upon  the  most  depraved  minds,  had  they 
been  placed  in  such  a  situation. 

A  curious  circumstance  in  the  ecclesiastical 
history  of  this  country  deserves  notice  here,  as  it 
took  place  some  time  about  this  period.    Pearce, 


?90  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1762. 

bishop  of  Rochester  and  dean  of  Westminster, 
being  now  73  years  old,  and  finding  himself  de- 
clining in  health  and  faculties,  was  anxious  to 
resign  all  his  preferments,  and  live  upon  his  pri- 
vate fortune.  For  this  purpose,  he  applied  to 
Lord  Bath  to  mention  his  wish  to  the  King,  who 
very  graciously  named  a  day  and  hour,  when  the 
bishop  was  admitted  alone  into  the  closet.  He 
then  repeated  to  his  Majesty  his  wish  to  have 
some  interval  between  the  fatigues  of  business 
and  eternity,  and  begged  that  the  King  would 
consult  the  proper  persons  about  the  legality  and 
propriety  of  such  a  resignation.  The  King  did  so, 
and  about  two  months  afterwards  informed  the 
prelate  that  Lord  Mansfield  saw  no  objection;  and 
that,  although  Lord  Northington  at  first  had  some 
doubts,  yet,  on  further  consideration,  he  thought 
the  request  might  be  complied  with.  This  singu- 
lar and  unprecedented  event,  however,  was  pre- 
vented, not  by  ecclesiastical,  but  political  reasons ; 
for  Lord  Bath  proposing  Bishop  Newton  to  suc- 
ceed .him,  the  ministry  took  alarm  at  his  inter- 
ference ;  the  King  was  told  that  the  bishops  dis- 
liked the  design ;  and  the  bishop  bowed  su1 
mission. 

1763. 

In   March   1763,    the  general  peace  was  pro- 
claimed,   and   the   King    had  much   to   contend 


1763.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY".  297 

against  in  domestic  politics ;  but  he  sought  his 
best  reward  in  a  consciousness  of  his  own  recti- 
tude, and  in  the  bosom  of  domestic  enjoyment, 
where  the  partner  of  his  joys  and  cares  rendered 
his  home  a  little  Paradise. 

She  indeed  escaped  the  clamour  of  the  time. 
She  was  popular  when  Lord  Bute's  administration 
had  rendered  the  King  very  much  the  reverse. 
She  interested  the  people  of  England  as  a  fruitful 
mother ;  and  was  considered  with  regard  as  a  do- 
mestic woman ;  so  much  so,  that  Colonel  Barre, 
then  a  violent  opposition  speaker,  delivered  a 
splendid  eulogium  on  her  "  mild,  tender,  and  un- 
assuming virtues."  Her  good  deeds  were  even 
then  very  numerous  ;  yet  few  of  them  were  known 
to  the  world,  with  the  exception  of  one  very 
praiseworthy  arrangement;  for  one  of  the  first  acts 
of  her  Majesty's  benevolence  was  the  forming  of 
an  establishment  for  the  daughters  of  decayed 
gentlemen,  or  orphans. — A  house  and  grounds 
were  purchased  in  Bedfordshire,  and  a  lady  of 
high  attainments  placed  therein,  at  a  salary  of 
500/.  to  instruct  the  pupils  in  embroidery,  &c. 
They  were  taken  in  at  15  years  of  age.  The  pro- 
duce of  their  labour  was  converted  into  ornaments 
for  window-curtains,  chairs,  sofas,  and  bed-fur- 
niture, for  Windsor  Castle,  and  the  Palace  in 
St.  James's  Park. 

Public  discontent  was,    at  this  period,    much 


298  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1763. 

increased  by  the  financial  measures  necessary  for 
winding  up  the  war  expenses ;  amongst  which  the 
cider-tax  became  an  ample  subject  of  discussion, 
by  the  extension  of  the  excise ;  and  the  City  of 
London  even  went  so  far  as  to  petition  the  King 
to  refuse  his  assent  to  that  measure.  This,  how- 
ever, he  could  not  do  without  at  once  dismissing 
his  ministers ;  a  measure  indeed  which  soon  after 
took  place,  for  Lord  Bute  resigned  on  the  8th  of 
April,  1763,  to  the  great  surprise  of  all  parties, 
but  probably  at  the  personal  instigation  of  the 
King  himself,  for  the  sake  of  domestic  peace ; 
yet  his  Majesty  still  retained  for  him  his  early 
friendship,  and,  indeed,  never  deserted  him  even 
when  most  unpopular. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  abuse  that  was  thrown 
upon  Bute  in  regard  to  his  politics,  and  reflect- 
ed from  him  upon  his  Majesty,  it  is  but  fair  to  re- 
cord that  his  lordship  had  often  previously  declared, 
that  he  staid  in  office  but  to  secure  a  peace  which 
should  have  a  probability  of  permanence ;  that  he 
did  retire  when  the  peace  was  concluded ;  and 
that  he  retired  without  place  or  pension,  disdain- 
ing to  touch  those  tempting  spoils  which  lay  at 
his  feet.  But  could  he  escape  censure  when, 
even  then,  it  was  so  coarsely  thrown  upon  his 
Majesty,  who,  since  his  accession  to  the  throne, 
had  voluntarily  surrendered  part  of  his  preroga- 
tive, and   part  of  his  revenue,    for  the  sake  of 


1763.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  299 

freedom;  who  had  set  before  his  subjects  an 
uniform  example  of  every  private  virtue  :  yet  with 
all  this,  the  melancholy  truth  was,  that  faction 
had  been  able,  even  then,  to  diminish  most  con- 
siderably that  popularity  justly  due  to  him. 

The  Whigs  of  that  day  were  severe  upon  the 
cider  bill,  because  it  would  have  extended  the 
excise  laws  to  every  private  house  in  the  king- 
dom ;  it  is  strange  that  their  successors  thought 
not  of  that  when,  in  power  at  a  later  period, 
they  proposed  a  tax  upon  private  brewing, 
which  would  have  had  precisely  the  same  con- 
sequences. 

Another  change  took  place  in  the  royal  house- 
hold, by  Lord  Gower  succeeding  the  Duke  of 
Marlborough;  and  on  the  26th  of  April,  Mr. 
George  Grenville  came  in  as  first  lord  of  the 
treasury,  and  chancellor  of  the  exchequer.  This, 
too,  was  the  period  of  "  Wilkes  and  Liberty,"  of 
which  so  much  has  been  said,  that  to  mention  it 
is  sufficient  in  this  place.  The  order  of  Lord 
Halifax,  secretary  of  state,  on  the  26th  of  April, 
to  seize  the  author  of  the  "  North  Briton,"  No.  45, 
was  the  signal  for  scenes  of  riot  and  confusion, 
that  continued  a  disgrace  to  the  metropolis  for 
many  months,  and  contributed  much  to  excite 
a  spirit  of  disloyalty  to  the  King  himself,  who 
was  joined  by  public  clamour  in  all  the  odium 
thrown  upon  the  character  of  Bute,  and  became 


300  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1763. 

indeed  extremely  unpopular  amongst  the  ignorant 
and  unthinking. 

The  King  foresaw  the  storm,  and  as  early  as 
this  year  set  his  face  against  violent  party  mea- 
sures, and  actually  declared  that  he  would  not 
employ  any  persons  in  the  state  in  the  habit  of 
forming  themselves  into  combinations  by  dinner- 
parties ;  for  which  he  was  then  much  commended, 
though  soon  most  roughly  blamed.  But  these 
things  did  not  interfere  with  his  benevolence. 
When  Lady  Molesworth's  house  in  Upper  Brook- 
street  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  6th  of  May, 
her  ladyship  with  two  of  her  daughters  perishing 
in  the  flames,  and  the  other  three,  all  young, 
only  escaping  with  dreadful  bruises  and  fractured 
limbs,  the  King  no  sooner  became  acquainted  with 
the  circumstance,  than  he  sent  to  the  unhappy 
survivors  a  handsome  present,  ordered  a  house  to 
be  taken  for  them  at  his  own  expense,  and  not 
only  continued  to  them  the  pension  settled  upon 
their  mother,  but  also  made  an  addition  to  it. 

We  must  not  omit,  that  during  the  severity 
of  the  winter,  his  Majesty  sent  a  bank-note  of 
1000/.  to  the  Bishop  of  London,  for  distribution 
amongst  the  poor.  He  also  exempted  the  prin- 
cipalities of  Gottingen,  Grubenhagen,  and  county 
of  Sternberg,  and  several  bailiwicks,  which  were 
chief  sufferers  by  the  war,  from  all  taxes  for  three 
years,  and  furnished  them  (gratis)  with  materials 


1763.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  301 

for  rebuilding  such  towns  as  had  been  destroyed 
by  the  enemy. 

On  his  birth-day  this  year,  the  Queen  was 
anxious  to  adopt  some  measure  of  parade  and 
splendour,  that  might  attract  public  notice,  and 
turn  the  minds  of  the  metropolis  in  some  degree 
from  the  rancorous  ideas  which  then  floated  in 
public  opinion:  and  for  this  purpose  she  prepared 
a  grand  masqued  allegorical  ball  to  take  place  a 
few  days  afterwards  at  Buckingham-house,  ac- 
companied with  magnificently  illuminated  temples 
and  other  decorations  in  the  gardens,  so  arranged 
also  as  to  afford  a  grand  surprise  to  his  Majesty, 
who  had  been  prevailed  on  to  reside  for  a  few 
days  at  St.  James's,  so  as  to  afford  time  for  pre- 
paration, and  who,  on  arriving  at  the  palace  in 
the  evening,  was  led  into  the  drawing-room,  from 
whence,  the  window-shutters  being  suddenly 
thrown  open,  he  saw  himself  represented  in  a 
grand  transparency,  as  giving  peace  to  the  world, 
surrounded  by  all  the  public  and  private  virtues 
which  for  so  many  years  distinguished  him,  whilst 
the  vices  of  the  day  were  trod  beneath  his  feet. 

But  certainly  the  most  extraordinary  rejoicings 
on  his  birth-day,  when  he  entered  his  twenty- 
sixth  year,  were  those  at  Aylesbury,  for  which 
Mr.  Wilkes  sat  as  member,  who  took  a  very  ac- 
tive personal  share  in  the  festivities,  and  abso- 


302  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1763. 

lutely  shewed  himself  off  as  the  most  loyal  man 
in  the  three  kingdoms. 

Yet  his  extraordinary  conduct  did  not  escape 
the  notice  of  observant  politicians ;  nor  did  this 
shew  of  personal  attachment  to  the  sovereign  pre- 
vent some  persons  from  forming  very  harsh  opi- 
nions respecting  him. 

In  a  letter  of  the  Rev.  C.  Godwin,  preserved  by 
Mr.  Nichols,  alluding  to  the  confinement  of  Wilkes, 
and  his  illness,  it  is  expressly  stated  that  "  Dr. 
Parker,  who  is  promoted  to  the  great  living  of  St. 
James's,  told  me  lately  that  Mr.  Pitt  declares  him 
to  be  an  enemy  to  his  God,  and  his  king,  and  his 
country."  Yet  in  a  subsequent  epistle,  a  few  days 
afterwards,  the  same  gentleman  observes,  "  I  am 
very  glad  to  find  that  your  sentiments  of  Mr.  Pitt 
agree  with  mine.  His  behaviour  to  the  Prince  in 
a  late  memorable  conference  is  so  astonishing  that 
nothing  but  an  excessive  degree  of  pride  can  ac- 
count for  it.  The  terms  which  he  proposed  were 
these :  that  full  satisfaction  be  made  to  the  Duke 
of  Newcastle  by  re-instating  all  his  friends ;  that 
every  person  who  had  approved  of  the  peace  be 
discarded  ;  that  the  Tories  be  proscribed  entirely ; 
that  all  pkices,  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  be  abso- 
lutely at  his  disposal ;  that  Lord  Temple  be  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  treasury,  and  Lord  Albemarle 
have   the  command  of  the   army.     The   King's 


1763.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  303 

answer  was  exactly  in  these  words : — *  Sir,  I  sent 
for  you,  because  my  people  have  a  great  opinion 
of  your  abilities  ;  but  if  I  accept  the  terms  you 
propose,  I  shall  neither  do  justice  to  myself  nor 
to  them.' " 

Of  this  transaction  a  fuller  account  has  been 
given  which  says,  that  on  the  death  of  Lord  Egre- 
mont,  a  kind  of  party  coalition  took  place,  previ- 
ously to  wThich  his  Majesty  sent  for  Mr.  Pitt,  and 
desired  him  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements ; 
but  so  elated  was  he  with  the  prospect  before 
him,  that  he  ventured  to  make  the  following  de- 
mands : — himself  to  be  secretary  of  state,  and  to 
have  the  disposal  of  all  offices;  Earl  Temple  to  be 
first  lord  of  the  treasury,  with  three  of  his  friends 
at  the  board;  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  at  the  head 
of  the  army,  with  the  power  of  naming  the  secre- 
tary at  war;  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  and  his  friends 
to  be  in  the  cabinet;  and  every  man  who  had  been 
concerned  in  making  the  peace,  or  voting  for  it, 
except  Lord  Halifax,  to  be  displaced.  On  hear- 
ing this  preposterous  proposal,  his  Majesty  said, 
"  Sir,  I  believe,  from  my  feelings  as  a  man,  I  have 
offered  as  great  sacrifices  as  ever  monarch  submit- 
ted to,  merely  for  the  good  of  my  people,  whose 
minds  have  been  poisoned  by  ambitious  and  de- 
signing men ;  but  you  want  to  reduce  me  to  such 
a  situation,  by  disavowing  my  own  act,  and  what 
my  heart  approves,  and  by  giving  up  my  friends 


304  GEORGE    THE    THIRE),  1763. 

to  a  vain  and  factious  resentment,  that  I  should  be 
unworthy  of  ever  having  another  friend,  and  you 
yourself  must  first  despise  and  then  distrust  me. 
No,  sir,  before  1  submit  to  these  conditions,  1  will 
first  put  the  crown  on  your  head,  and  then  submit 
my  neck  to  the  axe." 

Soon  after  this,  on  the  16th  of  August,  his  Royal 
Highness  the  Duke  of  York  was  born, 

1764. 
The  1st  of  January,  this  year,  presented  the 
extraordinary  circumstance  of  no  birth-day  ode 
being  performed  at  court;  and  soon  after  followed 
another  very  happy  reform,  in  the  stoppage  of  all 
hazard-playing,  as  formerly  practised  on  Twelfth- 
night,  together  with  Sunday  evening  concerts^ 
which  the  King  pointedly  noticed  to  all  the  house- 
hold; arrangements  highly  creditable  to  his  Ma- 
jesty's good  sense  and  strict  notions  of  propriety. 
The  court,  however,  was  not  deficient  at  this 
period  in  brilliancy  and  splendour,  as  the  marriage 
of  the  Princess  Augusta  with  the  hereditary  Prince 
of  Brunswick  afforded  full  scope  to  taste,  fashion, 
and  fancy.  This  match  met  with  the  King's 
warmest  approbation,  as  he  fully  testified  by  a 
superb  present  to  the  royal  bride  of  a  necklace, 
estimated  at  30,000/.,  which,  with  other  valuable 
jewels  from  the  Queen,  amounted  almost  to  a 
princely  fortune. 


1764.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  305 

The  remainder  of  the  month,  and  February 
also,  were  occupied  with  the  parliamentary  and 
law  proceedings  in  Wilkes's  case  ;  but  the  month 
of  March  displayed  political  features  of  more  in- 
terest in  the  propositions  submitted  to  the  House 
of  Commons  for  American  taxation. 

The  right  of  the  mother  country  to  colonial 
taxation  is  not  a  subject  for  discussion  here ;  but 
it  certainly  was  a  measure  which  the  King  took 
up  very  soon  after  coming  to  the  throne ;  and  in 
this  year  immediately  following  the  close  of  the 
glorious  seven  years  war,  when  economy  was 
loudly  called  for,  and  was  in  fact  absolutely  ne- 
cessary, he  spoke  of  it  to  the  prime  minister 
Grenville,  as  a  grand  financial  resource  for  the 
relief  of  pressure  at  home,  from  the  expenses  of  a 
war  that  had  been  principally  undertaken  to  pro- 
duce security  for  the  American  colonies  by  re- 
pressing the  intrusions  of  the  French  Canadians, 
and  finally  bringing  Canada  under  the  British 
sceptre. 

Grenville  was  startled  at  hearing  this  propo- 
sition from  the  King,  though  not  from  its  novelty, 
if  we  can  give  credit  to  his  answer,  when  he  re- 
plied that  he  had  frequently  thought  on  the  sub- 
ject, but  believed  it  to  be  difficult,  nay,  imprac- 
ticable, whilst  the  very  attempt  could  not  fail  to 
be  productive  of  the  most  alarming  consequences, 
even  to  the  monarch  himself.     The  King  listened 

vol.  i.  x 


300  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1764. 

to  him,  but  was  not  convinced  :  and  again  intro- 
duced the  subject  with  Grenville,  who  still  ob- 
jecting to  the  measure,  his  Majesty  plainly  told 
him,  that  if  he  was  disinclined  or  afraid  to  make 
the  attempt,  others  would  be  found  with  sufficient 
resolution  to  carry  it  through.  The  minister  had 
now  no  alternative  but  to  resign  or  make  the  ex- 
periment. He  adopted  the  latter,  but  was  unsuc- 
cessful in  his  early  preparatory  measures,  and  the 
plan  was  dropped,  though  not  forgotten. 

The  propositions  alluded  to  passed  with  very 
little  notice  in  the  two  houses  of  legislature,  and 
without  exciting  any  particular  alarm  in  the 
public  mind,  which  was  completely  filled  with 
"  Wilkes  and  Liberty;"  but  they  were  more  nar- 
rowly scrutinized  in  the  colonies,  on  whose  coasts 
the  British  cruizers  acted  as  revenue  cutters, 
seizing  many  vessels  and  cargoes — acts  which 
were  followed  up  by  the  Americans  with  resolu- 
tions against  British  manufactures  of  all  kinds ;  a 
strong  spirit  of  discontent  pervading  the  whole 
population,  and  being  then  apparently  ready  to 
burst  out  into  popular  commotion. 

The  idea  of  American  taxation  was  by  no 
means  a  new  one.  When  Sir  Robert  Walpole  in 
1733  failed  in  his  scheme  of  introducing  the  ex- 
cise, one  of  the  American  governors  proposed  to 
him  a  tax  upon  that  country ;  to  which  Walpole 
answered,  "  You  see  I  have  Old  England  already 


1764.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  307 

set  against  me.  Do  you  think  that  I  can  wish  to 
have  New  England  set  asrainst  me  also  ?" 

The  public  feeling  at  this  period,  in  the  colonies, 
may  be  fully  appreciated  by  a  little  anecdote  of 
a  person  named  Patrick  Henry,  who  is  said  to 
have  given  the  first  impulse  to  the  ball  of  the 
American  revolution.  This  man  was  a  member 
of  the  lower  house  of  the  Virginian  legislature, 
where  he  brought  forward  a  most  violent  resolu- 
tion respecting  the  stamp  act ;  exclaiming,  to- 
wards the  close  of  his  speech — "  Caesar  had  his 
Brutus ;  Charles  I.   his  Cromwell ;  and   George 

the  Third ,"  on   which   the   Speaker    cried 

out  "  Treason !"  a  word  that  was  echoed  from 
a  part  of  the  house,  in  some  measure  alarming 
Henry,  who  faltered  for  a  moment,  but  instantly 
rising  to  a  loftier  attitude,  and  fixing  upon  the 
Speaker  an  eye  flashing. with  fire,  continued  his 
speech  with  the  words,  "  —may  profit  by  their 
example.  If  this  be  treason,  make  the  most 
of  it." 

On  the  birth-day  his  Majesty  was  agreeably 
surprised  by  a  present  from  the  Queen,  alike  flat- 
tering to  parental  and  conjugal  love,  consisting  of 
a  ring  splendidly  ornamented  with  brilliants,  and 
containing  an  enamel,  in  which  were  the  portraits 
of  their  little  ones.  This  was  the  more  honourable 
to  her  Majesty,  inasmuch  as  she  gave  the  prefer- 
ence to  English  artists  in  the  execution  of  this 

x  2 


308  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G4. 

testimony  of  affectionate  respect  to  her  husband 
and  sovereign. 

His  Majesty's  taste  for  curious  and  ingenious 
mechanism  was  exemplified  this  year,  by  a  repeat- 
ing watch,  made  under  his  own  immediate  di- 
rections by  Mr.  Arnold,  the  celebrated  chrono- 
meter manufacturer.  It  was  rather  less  than  a 
silver  two-pence,  yet  contained  one  hundred  and 
twenty  different  parts;  the  whole  weighed  be- 
tween five  and  six  pennyweights. 

He  also,  about  this  time,  further  displayed  his 
mechanical  and  astronomical  skill,  by  the  instruc- 
tions given  to  Mr.  Norton,  an  ingenious  watch- 
maker of  St.  John  Street,  for  a  time-piece,  finished 
in  1765,  which  was  constructed  with  four  faces. 
One  of  these  shewed  true  and  apparent  time,  with 
the  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun,  for  every  day  in 
the  year,  by  a  moving  horizon,  pointing  out  also 
the  lengthening  and  shortening  of  the  days,  and 
the  true  time  in  all  parts  of  the  globe.  The 
next  had  a  solar  system,  or  orrery,  shewing  the 
motion  of  the  planets,  agreeable  to  .the  Coper- 
nican  system.  The  third  pointed  out  the  age  and 
phases  of  the  moon,  with  the  time  of  high  water 
at  thirty  two  principal  sea-ports.  But  the  most 
complicated  of  all  was  the  fourth,  which,  by  a 
curious  retrograde  motion  in  a  spiral,  shewed  the 
days  of  the  month  and  year,  also  the  months,  and 
days  of  the  week.     The  whole  was  planned  by 


1764.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  309 

the  King  himself:  but  the  mechanical  calculations, 
for  the  solar  system  were  made  by   Dr.  Bevis; 
and  for  the  moon  and  tides,  by  Ferguson. 

Their  Majesties  had  an  opportunity  in  the  au- 
tumn of  displaying  their  benevolence  towards  a 
number  of  unhappy  Germans,  that  were  thrown 
upon  the  humanity  of  the  British  nation  by  a 
rascally  adventurer,  who,  like  many  others  at  the 
present  day,  had  speculated  in  American  lands 
ignorantly  and  improvidently,  and  had  involved 
numbers  in  the  fatal  consequences  of  his  own 
ruin. 

These  poor  creatures,  natives  of  the  Palatinate 
of  Bavaria  and  Wurtzburg,  to  the  number  of  six 
hundred,  had  been  induced  to  embark  at  one  of 
the  German  ports,  for  the  purpose  of  being  carried 
to  the  island  of  St.  John's  in  the  St.  Lawrence, 
but  their  vessel,  why  or  wherefore  has  never  been 
fully  understood,  having  been  brought  into  the 
river,  the  whole  of  them  were  sent  on  shore  penny- 
less,  with  the  exception  of  two  hundred,  whose 
passage-money  had  not  been  previously  paid,  and 
even  these  were  subjected  to  the  greatest  priva- 
tions of  hunger,  thirst,  &c. 

Of  those  sent  on  shore,  and  who  for  some  nights 
slept  in  the  fields  around  Limehouse,  the  suffer- 
ings were  extreme ;  mothers  bringing  forth  in  all 
the  inclemency  of  the  season,  and  expiring  from 
want  even  of  the  common  necessaries  :  and  it  was 


310  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1764. 

not  until  the  case  was  made  known  by  a  German 
pastor,  through  the  daily  papers,  that  any  relief 
was  extended  towards  them.  But  no  sooner  did 
the  fact  reach  his  Majesty  than  he  instantly  sent 
orders  to  the  Tower  for  tents  to  be  furnished,  and 
paid  the  passage-money  of  those  detained  onboard, 
directing  also  that  an  immediate  supply  of  provi- 
sions should  be  issued  to  them,  until  a  subscription 
should  be  completed,  which  the  Queen  had  begun 
amongst  the  nobility  and  gentry  round  the  court, 
and  to  which  the  King  subscribed  300/.  a  similar 
sum  being  also  paid  by  her  Majesty. 

As  the  unhappy  people  had  no  wish  to  return 
home,  an  asylum  was  offered  them  in  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia,  which  they  gladly  accepted 
of,  and  whither  they  were  sent  by  the  King's 
express  directions,  and  not  only  supplied  with  all 
necessary  comforts  during  the  passage,  but  also 
established  on  their  arrival,  so  as  to  be  able  to 
maintain  themselves.* 

*  This  was  an  important  year  in  the  history  of  Europe  : 
Poniatovvski  by  Russian  influence  became  King  of  Poland ; 
previous  to  which  the  Empress  Catherine  had  become  Autocrat 
of  Russia.  Joseph  II.  was  crowned  Emperor  of  Germany. 
Paoli  took  the  lead  in  the  Corsican  attempts  at  liberty ;  and 
the  Jesuits  were  expelled  from  France. 

We  have  seen  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  his  Majesty,  about  this 
period,  addressed  to  the  King  of  Poland,  and  said  to  be  written 


1764.  MIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  311 

The  spirit  of  discovery,  which  had  long  ani- 
mated the  European  nations,  having,  after  its  ar- 
duous and  successful  exertions  during  the  15th 
and  16th  centuries,  gradually  subsided,  and  for  a 
considerable  time  lain  dormant,  began  to  revive  in 
Great  Britain  in  the  reign  of  George  II.  when  two 
voyages  for  the  discovery  of  a  north-west  passage 
took  place  under  Middleton  and  Smith.  But  it 
was  reserved  for  the  reign  of  George  III.  to  see  it 
recover  all  its  former  activity,  under  his  cherishing 
influence  and  munificent  encouragement. 

Having  now  happily  closed  the  destructive 
operations  of  war,  he  turned  his  thoughts  to  enter- 
prises more  humane,  but  not  less  brilliant,  adapted 
to  the  season  of  returning  peace.  While  every 
liberal  art  and  useful  study,  says  the  learned 
editor  of  "  Cook's  Third  Voyage,"  flourished  un- 
der his  patronage  at  home,  his  superintending 
care  was  extended  to  such  branches  of  knowledge 
as  required  distant  examination  and  inquiry ;  and 

with  his  own  hand,  which  deserves  insertion  here,  though  we 
cannot  absolutely  vouch  for  its  authenticity. 

"Sir,  and  Brother, 
"  It  is  with  much  satisfaction  that  I  have  learned,  by  a  pri- 
vate letter,  the  agreeable  news  that  your  Majesty  has  been 
elected  King  and  possessor  of  the  throne,  of  Poland.  This 
election,  made  with  so  much  tranquillity,  and  so  unanimously, 
will  one  day    enrich  the   annals  of  that  kingdom;  and  your 


312  GEORGE     THE    THIRD,  17G4. 

his  ships,  after  bringing  back  victory  and  conquest 
from  every  quarter  of  the  known  world,  were  now 
to  be  employed  in  opening  friendly  communica- 
tions with  its  hitherto  unexplored  recesses. 

In  consequence  of  this  determination,  Com- 
modore Byron  departed  in  1764;  followed  by 
Captain  Wallis,  and  successively  by  the  immortal 
Cook ;  so  that  actually  in  little  more  than  seven 
years,  at  the  close  of  Cook's  first  voyage,  dis- 
coveries were  made  far  greater  than  those  of  all 
the  navigators  in  the  world  collectively,  since  the 
expedition  of  Columbus,  and  the  first  discovery 
of  America.  These  voyages  were  liberally  con- 
ducted, and  as  liberally  given  to  the  world  at 
large. 

subjects  have  the  greatest  reason  to  promise  themselves  every 
thing  from  their  Sovereign,  who,  in  his  own  private  travels, 
having  seen  the  different  courts  of  Europe,  and  known  them 
all,  will  the  better  know  how,  of  course,  to  govern  his  subjects 
as  becomes  a  king,  to  watch  over  their  preservation,  and  to 
defend  their  laws  and  their  liberties. 

"  The  pleasure  I  feel  at  recalling  to  my  remembrance  the 
esteem,  which  I  conceived  for  you  on  my  own  part,  increased 
that  which  I  now  feel  in  felicitating  your  Majesty,  on  your 
advancement  to  the  throne;  and  I  embrace  this  opportunity, 
with  much  ardour,  to  assure  your  Majesty  of  the  sincere  friend- 
ship with  which  I  am, 

"  Sir  and  Brother, 

"  Your  affectionate  friend, 
"  At  St.  James's,  "  G.  It." 

"  9th  October  1764." 


1764.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  313 

We  are  assured  that  it  was  in  the  course  of  this 
year,  in  a  conversation  with  his  uncle  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland,  that  the  King  was  first  prompted 
to  that  extreme  temperance,  added  to  his  usual 
severe  exercise  which  had  marked  him  from  early 
life,  which  he  practised  with  the  greatest  resolu- 
tion and  forbearance  for  many  succeeding  years. 
Lamenting  the  Duke's  extreme  corpulence,  that 
Prince  assured  him  that  he  conceived  him  likely 
to  be  as  corpulent  long  before  he  should  attain  an 
age  equal  to  that  of  the  Duke,  unless  he  added 
great  renunciation  and  temperance  to  his  personal 
exercise.  To  this  the  King  scarcely  replied  :  but 
it  made  a  great  impression  upon  him ;  so  much  so 
that  on  that  very  day  he  commenced  a  most  rigid 
system  of  restraint  upon  his  palate,  resisting  every 
temptation  to  indulgence,  and  condemning  him- 
self to  eat  alone,  of  the  plainest  food  and  in  small 
quantity,  lest  family  conviviality  should  lead  him 
beyond  his  strict  rules  of  temperance  and  ne- 
gation. 

1765. 

The  disputes  with  the  American  colonies  had 
already  become  of  such  import  in  ]  765,  that  the 
King  took  public  notice  of  them  in  his  speech  to 
Parliament  on  the  10th  of  January,  in  which  he 
expressed  his  reliance  on  the  firmness  and  wisdom 
of  both  Houses,  in  promoting  that  obedience  to 


314  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1765. 

the  laws  and  respect  to  the  legislative  authority  of 
Britain,  which  were  so  essentially  necessary  to 
the  safety  of  the  whole.  He  also  intimated  his  con- 
sent to  the  marriage  of  his  sister  with  the  young 
King  of  Denmark,  a  match  so  fraught  with  sub- 
sequent misery  to  that  unhappy  Princess. 

On  the  26th  he  granted  his  royal  charter  to  the 
Society  of  Artists  in  Great  Britain;  but  neither  his 
attention  to  the  arts  and  to  science,  nor  the  virtues 
of  his  private  life,  could  secure  him  from  the  dia- 
bolical spirit  of  revolution  that  had  already  begun 
to  manifest  itself,  particularly  on  the  29th  of  Ja- 
nuary, the  anniversary  of  Charles's  murder,  when 
hand-bills  were  distributed  through  the  metropolis 
to  a  great  extent,  on  which  was  printed,  in  capitals, 

"  THIS  DAY,  LIBERTY  ! " 
a  proceeding  evidently  connected  with  the  ma- 
chinations of  Wilkes  and  his  reforming  adherents. 

In  February  a  whimsical  petition  was  presented 
from  the  peruke-makers,  humbly  beseeching  his 
Majesty,  in  consideration  of  their  distressed  con- 
dition, occasioned  by  so  many  people  wearing 
their  own  hair  and  employing  foreigners  to  cut 
and  dress  it,  or  when  they  employ  natives  oblig- 
ing them  to  work  on  the  Lord's  day,  to  the  neglect 
of  duty  to  God,  that  he  would  be  pleased  to  grant 
them  relief;  submitting  to  his  Majesty's  goodness 
and  wisdom,  whether  his  own  example  was  not 
the  only  means  of  rescuing  them  from  their  dis- 


1705.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  315 

tress,   as   far  as  it  occasioned  so  many  people 
wearing  their  own  hair. 

The  deputation,  even  though  on  so  absurd  a 
principle,  was  graciously  received ;  and  the  King- 
answered,  that  "  he  had  nothing  dearer  to  his 
heart  than  the  happiness  of  his  people  ;  and  that 
they  might  be  assured  he  should  at  all  times  use 
his  endeavours  to  promote  their  welfare."  He 
did  not  indeed  take  the  hint  thus  given  him  ;  and 
it  was  a  remark  at  the  time,  that  several  of  the 
petitioners  actually  wore  their  own  hair,  a  circum- 
stance eagerly  caught  at  by  the  mob,  who  took 
the  liberty  of  fitting  them  for  wigs  on  their  return 
from  court. 

This  was  whimsically  ridiculed  by  a  pretended 
petition  from  the  carpenters,  requesting  his  Ma- 
jesty, for  the  good  of  trade,  to  wear  a  wooden  leg. 
These  petitions  were  followed  by  one  on  the 
ensuing  day  from  the  hatters,  who  complained  of 
their  business  being  engrossed  by  foreigners, 
"  to  the  ruin  of  many  hundreds  of  his  Majesty's 
subjects." 

Though  the  King  was  only  a  seven  months1  child, 
yet  he  was  born  with  such  a  sound  and  vigorous 
frame  of  body,  that  he  was  seldom  incommoded 
by  sickness,  or  by  indisposition  of  any  kind  :  but 
in  March  this  year  he  was  seized  with  a  com- 
plaint which  continued  for  several  weeks,  and 
which  was  even  then  secretly  reported  to  have 


31G  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1765. 

resembled  that  malady  which  since  so  unhap- 
pily secluded  him  from  the  view  of  his  subjects, 
and  from  the  exercise  of  his  royal  functions.  How 
far  these  reports  were  founded  in  fact,  it  is  now 
perhaps  impossible  to  ascertain ;  though  it  may 
fairly  be  surmised  even  from  his  speech  to  par- 
liament on  the  24th  of  April,  after  his  recovery, 
when  he  came  down  to  the  House  to  propose  a 
regency,  having  previously  appeared  in  public  at 
a  levee  on  the  5th  of  that  month. 

In  his  speech  he  said — "  My  late  indisposition, 
though  not  attended  with  danger,  has  led  me  to 
consider  the  situation  in  which  my  kingdoms  and 
my  family  might  be  left,  if  it  should  please  God 
to  put  a  period  to  my  life  whilst  my  successor  is 
of  tender  years.''  After  which,  he  proposed  that 
a  power  should  be  given  him  to  appoint  from  time 
to  time,  under  the  sign  manual,  either  the  Queen 
or  any  other  person  of  the  royal  family  residing 
in  Britain,  to  be  guardian  and  regent  until  the  heir 
should  attain  the  age  of  eighteen,  but  subject  to 
the  restrictions  of  a  Regency  Act  already  passed 
in  the  reign  of  George  II.  in  which  the  Princess 
Dowager  had  been  nominated  the  regent  in  case 
of  a  minority. 

The  bill  was  brought  in,  but  the  party  politics 
of  the  day  endeavoured  to  prevent  her  Royal 
Highness  from  even  being  named  a  member  of 
the  council  of  regency ;  a  measure  in  which  part 


17G5.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         317 

of  the  cabinet  joined,  through  jealousy  of  her  in- 
fluence. It  passed  however  on  the  15th  of  May; 
but  was  followed  by  a  complete  change  of  minis- 
try. Although  Lord  Bute  had  resigned  his  minis- 
terial situation,  yet  he  was  still  supposed  to  be 
the  private  director  of  the  political  machine, 
through  backstairs  influence.  There  certainly  was 
still  a  private  friendship  between  the  King  and 
his  quondam  governor ;  but  there  is  now,  when 
party  spirit  is  at  rest,  every  reason  to  believe  the 
charge  ill  founded,  though  it  gained  great  cre- 
dit from  the  repeated  instances  of  Lord  Bute's 
going  to  Carlton-house,  the  residence  of  the 
Princess  Dowager,  incognito  in  an  evening,  at 
which  time  it  was  also  customary  for  the  King  to 
visit  his  mother,  and  the  public  of  course  sup- 
posed that  the  meeting  formed  a  kind  of  private 
cabinet  for  regulating  the  operations  of  the  osten- 
sible ministry. 

That  these  suspicions  were  incorrect,  and  that 
the  King's  firmness  and  good  sense  saved  him 
from  such  degradation,  is  clear,  from  an  anecdote 
recorded  on  good  authority,  of  a  check  which  the 
youthful  Monarch  gave  to  a  palpable  attempt  on 
the  part  of  the  ex-minister  to  obtrude  upon  his 
confidence.  The  anecdote  states  that  the  Prin- 
cess Dowager  of  Wales  was  anxious  for  Bute's 
return  to  office,  a  wish  in  which  that  nobleman 
joined ;  in  consequence  of  which  a  plan  was  laid 


318  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G5. 

to  take  the  King  by  surprise,  so  that  Lord  Bute 
should,  as  if  by  chance,  obtain  permission  to  see 
the  first  dispatches  received  by  the  King  whilst  at 
Carlton-house  ;    it  being  frequently  the    custom 
for  the  secretary  of  state  to  transmit  them  at  those 
periods.     No  sooner  did  the  green  box,  with  let- 
ters and  papers,  make  its  usual  appearance,  than 
the  King,  as  usual,  rose  up  to  retire  into  another 
apartment  in  order  to  peruse  them  in  retirement ; 
but  Lord  Bute  officiously  took  up  two  candles, 
and  preceded  the  King,  as  if  going  to  his  closet, 
in  the  hope  that  the  King  would  desire  him  to 
remain  in  the  room,  and  acquaint  him  with  the 
contents,  by  which  means  he  might  slide  into  po- 
litical business  without  any  formality.     But  the 
young  Monarch  was  on  his  guard ;  and,  stopping 
at  the  door  of  the  apartment,  took  the  candles 
himself,  bowed  dismissal  to  the  candidate,  and 
shut  the  door  :  a  hint  fully  understood,  and  con- 
sidered as  a  final  rejection. 

By  the  ministerial  changes,  the  Rockingham 
party  came  into  power,  and  the  Duke  of  Portland 
became  lord  chamberlain  of  the  household  ;  but 
the  public  were  still  unsatisfied,  principally  in 
consequence  of  the  great  encouragement  given  by 
the  fashionable  world  to  French  and  other  foreign 
manufactures,  in  preference  to  our  own — a  pre- 
ference which  both  the  King  and  Queen  did  all 
in  their  power  to  check  ;  her  Majesty  both  by 


m  s     i :  irYAi .  Til  rarr^  &  §  § 
TOlMAll     H  EOTY     Dl'KI'l   01    Cl,.\i:  KN<UE 


BOKN    ATTG1    83      L765 


1765.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  319 

precept  and  example  stimulating;  the  ladies  to 
wear  home-made  silks  only,  and  the  King  causing 
his  own  birth-day  to  be  solemnized  with  more 
than  usual  splendour,  and  announcing  that  it  was 
expected  nothing  but  British  manufacture  should 
be  worn  at  court. 

On  the  15th  of  August  the  Duke  of  Clarence 
was  born  :  and  about  this  period  the  King  was 
engaged  in  a  dispute  respecting  the  rights  of  his 
second  son,  who  had  been  elected,  in  the  preced- 
ing year,  Bishop  of  Osnaburg ;  for  though  the 
ecclesiastical  chapter  obeyed  his  conge  rfelire  in 
the  nomination  to  the  princely  mitre,  yet  they 
were  'unwilling  to  give  up  the  management  of 
the  revenues  during  the  minority  of  the  young- 
bishop  ;  but  the  affair  was  at  length  referred  to 
the  superior  judicature  of  the  German  Empire.* 

On  the  26th  of  December,  His  Royal  Highness 
the  Prince  of  Wales  was  invested  with  the  insignia 
of  the  Garter  at  the  early  age  of  three  years ;  but 
even  this  was  not  his  first  appearance  in  public 
life,  as  a  short  time  previous  he  had  received,  in 
person,  an  address  from  the  Ancient  Britons,  a 
society  which  has  a  peculiar  claim  to  the  patron- 
age of  the  heir  apparent.     The  address  was  with 

*  A  scandalous  story  was  circulated,  about  that  period,  of  a 
Bishop's  having  been  seen  in  bed  with  another  man's  wife  !  It 
was  certainly  true;  for  the  Bishop  of  Osiiaburgh  was  still  at 
nurse  ! 


320  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1765. 

great  good  sense  well  adapted  to  his  infantine 
years,  and  he  appeared  perfectly  capable  of  com- 
prehending the  stewards  when  they  told  him  that 
his  royal  parents  remembered  no  period  of  their 
lives  too  early  for  doing  good,  and  hoped  that 
when  a  few  short  years  should  call  forth  his  vir- 
tues into  action,  he  would  remember  with  pleasure 
the  occurrence  of  that  dav. 

His  Royal  Highness,  no  doubt  prepared  by  pa- 
rental care  for  the  occasion,  listened  with  atten- 
tion to  the  address,  and  distinctly  repeated  his 
answer — "  Gentlemen,  I  thank  you  for  this  mark 
of  duty  to  the  King,  and  wish  prosperity  to  this 
charity." 

But  the  close  of  1765  was  most  remarkable  for 
a  long  list  of  deaths  connected  with  royalty.  On 
the  31st  of  October,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland 
died  suddenly  after  passing  the  day  with  some 
of  his  royal  relations,  a  loss  much  regretted  by 
the  nation,  and  also  by  his  Majesty,  though  for  some 
time  past  political  differences  had  existed  between 
them.  The  King's  conduct  on  this  occasion  was 
not  only  praiseworthy  but  magnanimous;  for  when 
Lord  Albemarle,  the  executor,  presented  him 
with  the  key  of  his  uncle's  cabinet,  he  imme- 
diately requested  that  nobleman  to  keep  the  key 
in  his  own  possession,  and  to  use  his  own  judg- 
ment in  examining  all  private  papers,  and  in  de- 


17G5.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  321 

stroying  all  such  as  the  Duke  himself  might  have 
wished  to  keep  secret.* 

The  Dauphin  of  France,  father  to  the  present 

*  He  was  a  prince  of  many  virtues,  and  very  liberal, of  which 
the  following  is  a  proof: — In  his  march  against  the  rebels,  he 
halted  one  day  at  Penrith,  where  a  lad,  whose  father  had  been 
many  years  a  .servant  in  the  royal  household,  lived  at  that  time 
in  a  very  poor  condition.  The  youth  applied  by  a  petition  to 
his  Royal  Highness,  praying  for  some  assistance  to  enable  him 
to  prosecute  his  learning,  and  to  earn  an  honest  livelihood.  To 
this  request  the  Duke,  notwithstanding  his  numerous  engage- 
ments, returned  a  gracious  answer,  and  ordered  the  petitioner 
to  be  introduced  into  his  presence,  when,  after  a  short  pause, 
he  said,  "  I  remember  your  father  well;  his  honour  and  fide- 
lity as  a  servant  merited  esteem.  Could  I  be  persuaded  that 
you  would  follow  his  example,  such  a  provision  should  be  made 
for  you  as  would  enable  you  to  live  in  a  station  worthy  of  his 
name.  However,  take  this  purse  at  present,  and  I  give  you  my 
promise  that  when  these  troubles  are  over,  and  I  survive,  you 
shall  find  me  your  friend."  Some  time  after,  the  young  adven- 
turer came  to  London  to  remind  his  Royal"  patron  of  his  pro- 
mise, and  within  a  few  days  he  was  provided  for  in  a  good  place 
at  Windsor. 

When  the  Duke  commanded  in  Germany,  he  was  particu- 
larly pleased  with  the  ability  and  valour  of  a  serjeant  belonging 
to  his  own  regiment.  Having  often  observed  the  gallantry  of 
this  man,  and  made  several  inquiries  into  his  private  character, 
his  Royal  Highness  took  occasion,  after  a  great  exploit  which 
the  serjeant  had  performed,  to  give  him  a  commission.  Some 
time  afterwards,  this  person  came  to  the  Duke,  and  entreated 
his  leave  to  resign  the  rank  which  he  held.  Surprised  at  so  ex- 
traordinary arequest,  the  Duke  demanded  the  reason;   and  was 

VOL.   I.  V 


322  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1765. 

King,  died  on  the  20th  of  December ;  and  on  the 
28th  there  was  another  demise  in  our  own  Royal 
Family,  that  of  Prince  Frederic,  his  Majesty's 
youngest  brother,  in  his  16th  year. 

On  the  30th  of  the  month  the  old  Pretender, 
as  he  was  called,  died  at  Rome,  in  the  78th  year 
of  his  age ;  having  seen,  since  his  birth,  six  so- 
vereigns successively  fill  that  throne  which  his 
unhappy  but  bigotted  father,  James  II.  lost  for 
a  mass.  His  two  sons,  since  dead  also  issueless, 
were  Charles  Edward,  of  whom  we  have  already 
given  several  anecdotes,  and  Henry,  who  took 
holy  orders,  and  died  a  cardinal  and  titular  King 
of  England- 

told  by  the  applicant  that  he  was  now  separated  from  his  old 
companions  by  his  elevation,  and  not  admitted  into  the  com- 
pany of  his  brother  officers,  who  considered  themselves  as  de- 
graded by  his  appointment.  "  Oh!  is  that  the  case?"  said 
the  Duke;  "  let  the  matter  rest  for  a  day  or  two,  and  I  will 
soon  find  the  means  of  putting  an  end  to  your  disquietude." 
The  next  morning  his  Royal  Highness  went  on  the  parade, 
where  he  was  received  by  a  circle  of  officers,  and  while  he 
was  engaged  in  conversation,  he  perceived  his  old  friend 
walking  at  a  distance  by  himself.  On  this  the  Duke  said, 
"  Pray,  gentlemen,  what  has  that  officer  done  that  he  should 
be  drummed  out  of  your  councils?"  and  without  waiting  for 
an  answer  he  went  up,  took  the  man  by  the  arm,  and  thus 
accompanied  went  through  all  the  lines.  When  the  parade 
was  over,  Lord  Ligonier  respectfully  desired  his  Royal 
Highness  to  honour  the  mess  with  his  presence  that  day. 
"With  all  my  heart,"  replied  the  Duke,  "  provided  I  bring 


176G.  HIS    COURT,    AMD    FAMILY.  323 

The  last  day  of  the  year  was  marked  by  his 
Majesty's  annual  bounty  of  3000/.,  distributed 
amongst  poor  housekeepers  in  London  and  West- 
minster ;  a  charity  peculiarly  useful  at  that  incle- 
ment season,  and  also  enabling  its  objects  to  par- 
take of  the  good  cheer  of  the  festive  holidays. 

1766. 

The  cause  of  the  exiled  Stuarts  seems  now  to 
have  lost  its  friends  throughout  Europe.  Even  at 
Rome,  express  orders  were  given  that  no  person 
should  presume  to  give  the  title  of  King  to  the 
Chevalier  Charles ;  but  this  order  being  neglected, 
or  rather  disobeyed,  by  the  friars  of  San  Tomaso 
delli  Inglesi,  who  had  a  college  for  the  education 
of  English  Roman  Catholics,  the  Scotch  College, 

my  friend  here  with  me."  "I  hope  so,"  said  his  lordship; 
and  from  that  day  the  gentleman's  company  was  rather  courted 
than  shunned,  by  the  highest  officers  in  the  service. 

The  Duke  observed  a  uniform  regular  method  to  his  labour- 
ing people  at  Windsor,  which  was  that  of  never  giving  them 
any  more  pay  than  what  others  of  a  like  condition  received 
from  their  employers.  He  rather  chose  to  give  less  than  the 
nobility  and  gentry  in  that  neighbourhood,  in  order  that  no 
improper  advantages  might  be  taken  by  other  labourers  to  raise 
their  wages.  But  he  sufficiently  made  up  for  this  trifling  defi- 
ciency, by  ordering  his  workmen  every  day  at  noon  table-beer, 
with  bread  and  cheese,  besides  which  he  gave  them  once  or 
twice  a-week  a  good  substantial  dinner.  This  was  what  his 
Royal  Highness  used  to  call  old  English  hospitality. 

y2 


324  GEORGE    THE   THIRD,  17GG. 

and  the  two  Irish  convents,  who  all  on  four  succes- 
sive days  thought  fit  to  receive  him  with  that  kind 
of  ceremony  which  is  only  usual  towards  the  Pope 
and  crowned  heads,  his  Holiness  no  sooner  re- 
ceived intelligence  of  the  affair,  than  he  issued  his 
orders  from  M6nte  Cavallo,  banishing  the  supe- 
riors of  all  those  colleges  and  convents  from  the 
city  of  Rome. 

About  this  period  considerable  prejudice  had 
been  excited  against  the  King,  particularly  in  the 
American  colonies,  by  the  official  language  of  the 
ministry  in  their  public  dispatches,  attributing  to 
his  Majesty  certain  private  feelings  far  beyond 
what  his  own  sentiments  justified.  These  official 
forms  represented  the  King  as  being  "  highly  pro- 
voked," &c.  with  the  early  steps  of  the  American 
independents ;  but  from  these  unamiable  charges 
he  was  vindicated  by  an  able  writer  of  the  time, 
who  observed  that  the  King  was  in  fact  the  father 
of  his  people — that  he  really  viewed  their  errors 
and  their  crimes  with  that  compassion  with  which 
parents  regard  the  misconduct  of  their  children — 
that  it  was  with  reluctance  he  lifted  his  hand  to 
punish — and  that  it  was  not  the  being  "  provoked," 
but  the  necessity  of  preventing  greater  evils,  the 
spirit  of  justice,  and  his  paternal  care  for  his  obe- 
dient and  loyal  subjects,  which  could  ever  draw 
from  him  any  mark  of  correction  or  chastisement. 
By  this  character  he  preserved  the  reverence  of 


176G.  HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  325 

his  people  ;  and  it  was  therefore  most  judiciously- 
urged,  that  to  attribute  to  him  those  little  passions 
which  might  perhaps  at  some  times  agitate  the 
minds  of  his  ministers,  had  a  tendency  to  diminish 
his  dignity,  the  confidence  which  his  subjects 
placed  in  him,  and  the  happiness  of  his  people. 

On  the  question  of  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp 
Act,  it  is  also  said  that  the  King's  name  was  un- 
fairly used,  and  his  sentiments  misrepresented ; 
circumstances  which  tended  to  excite  a  degree 
of  unpopularity,  that  history  must  record,  though 
certainly  undeserved.  At  this  period  too,  Lord 
Bute  was  publicly  known  to  give  up  all  state  af- 
fairs ;  in  fact  now  he  made  it  a  rule  never  to  see  the 
King  in  private :  and  though  he  continued  to  visit 
the  Princess  Dowager,  yet  he  always  retired  by  a 
private  staircase,  whenever  the  King  arrived  at 
her  residence. 

The  personal  friendship,  however,  which  he 
always  felt  for  the  Prince  and  for  the  Sovereign 
did  not  grow  cold ;  and  as  he  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  King's  taste  for  every  thing  curious  in 
art  and  science,  so  it  is  well  known  that  he  never 
made  an  acquisition  of  any  new  work,  or  of  any 
new  mathematical  instrument,  of  which  he  had 
many  constructed  or  improved  under  his  own 
direction,  without  sending  a  duplicate  to  the 
royal  library.     Indeed,    even    the  superb    work 


326  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1766. 

which  he  produced  on  botany  in  nine  volumes 
quarto,  and  at  an  enormous  expense,  was  under- 
taken at  the  particular  request  of  the  Queen  :  and 
he  allowed  only  sixteen  copies  to  be  struck  off  for 
the  great  libraries  of  Europe,  and  a  few  particular 
friends.  It  is  much  to  be  lamented  that  the  po- 
pular clamour  excited  at  this  period  against  men, 
more  than  against  measures,  was  so  much  encou- 
raged by  political  parties  ;  for  that  a  little  political 
tranquillity  would  have  restored  the  King  to  his 
due  share  of  popularity,  the  following  fact  will 
evince. 

His  Majesty  being  expected  to  go  down  to 
Parliament  on  the  14th  of  May,  for  the  purpose 
of  giving  the  royal  assent  to  a  bill  prohibiting  the 
importation  of  foreign-wrought  silks  and  velvets, 
and  also  to  prevent  unlawful  combinations  of 
workmen  employed  in  the  silk  manufacture,  se- 
veral thousand  weavers  attended  at  St.  James's, 
with  streamers  flying,  music  playing,  and  drums 
beating,  and  accompanied  the  state  procession  to 
the  House  of  Peers ;  after  which  they  attended  his 
Majesty  back  to  the  palace,  with  the  loudest 
acclamations  of  joy.  On  their  return  to  Spital- 
fields,  the  whole  body  halted  before  the  Mansion- 
house,  exhibiting  all  their  standards,  from  which 
flew  streamers  of  all  colours,  composed  of  long- 
slips  of  their  own  manufactures.   After  giving  three 


17G6.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  327 

loyal  cheers,  and  playing  "  God  save  the  King," 
the  delighted  artisans  returned  peaceably  to  their 
own  humble  habitations. 

Another  change  of  ministry  took  place  at  the 
latter  end  of  July,  when  the  Duke  of  Grafton  suc- 
ceeded Lord  Rockingham  as  first  lord  of  the  trea- 
sury, and  the  Earl  of  Chatham  as  lord  privy  seal. 
The  Earl  of  Shelburne  also  became  secretary  of 
state  for  the  home  department;  the  foreign  having 
been  previously  filled  in  May  by  General  Con- 
way, on  whose  appointment  the  following  witti- 
cism has  been  recorded  of  Hume  the  historian, 
who  being  asked  if  he  was  not  much  surprised 
that  a  general  officer  should  have  that  promotion, 
"  Not  at  all,  sir,"  says  Hume;  "  consider  the  po- 
litical interests  of  Great  Britain  are  always  best 
supported  by  men  of  war  T 

It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  when  Hume  was  com- 
plimented by  a  noble  marquis  on  the  correctness 
of  his  stile,  particularly  in  his  History  of  England, 
he  observed,  "  If  he  had  shewn  any  peculiar  cor- 
rectness, it  was  owing  to  the  uncommon  care  he 
took  in  the  execution  of  his  work,  as  he  wrote 
it  over  three  times  before  he  sent  it  to  the  press." 
Yet  notwithstanding  his  extreme  care  he  made, 
a  most  egregious  blunder ;  for,  having  asserted  in 
his  history,  that  if  ever  the  national  debt  came  up 
to  one  hundred  millions  this  country  would  be  ruined, 
he  was  asked  by  a  friend,  how  he  could  make  such 


328  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1766. 

a  mistake,  seeing  that  the  debt  was  then  far  above 
that  sum,  and  likely  to  be  much  more  ?  "  Owing 
to  a  mistake,  sir,"  says  he,  "  common  to  writers 
by  profession,  who  are  often  obliged  to  adopt  state- 
ments on  the  authority  of  other  people.*" 

The  Royal  Family,  notwithstanding  public  dis- 
sensions, still  went  on  increasing  in  harmony  and 
in  number;  and  on  the  24th  of  September  her 
Majesty  presented  the  King  with  a  daughter,  the 
present  Queen  Dowager  of  Wirtemburgh. 

On  the  1st  of  October  in  this  year,  the  amiable 
and  ill-fated  Princess  Caroline  Matilda,  who  had 
but  recently  entered  the  sixteenth  year  of  her  age, 
was  married  by  proxy  in  the  royal  chapel  at  St. 
James's,  to  Christian  VII.  King  of  Denmark; 
forced  by  state  policy  to  enter,  unwillingly  it  is 
said,  into  the  first  solemn  covenant  of  her  future 
woes.  The  unhappy,  and,  now  as  it  is  believed, 
unjust  fate  of  that  amiable  sufferer,  deserves  some 
further  notice,  particularly  as  she,  from  her  ten- 
derest  years,  displayed  the  most  endearing  viva- 
ciousness,  and  a  sweetness  of  temper  that  could 
not  fail  to  engage  the  affections  of  her  attendants. 
When  she  attained  the  age  of  discernment,  her 
heart  and  her  mind  became  susceptible  of  the 
most  generous  sentiments,  and  all  her  instructions 
were  calculated  to  make  her  shine  in  the  highest 

*  The  whole  debt  amounted  to  130  millions;  with  the  annual 
charge  of  4,093,65(31. 


1766.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  329 

sphere  with  reputation  and  dignity.  Her  acquire- 
ments were  liberal,  her  knowledge  of  English 
literature  extensive,  and  of  foreign  languages  be- 
yond her  years.  Her  person  was  graceful,  her 
manners  elegant,  her  voice  sweet  and  melodious, 
and  her  countenance  most  prepossessing.  Her  dis- 
position was  most  amiable  ;  and  several  indigent 
families  at  Kew,  where  this  charming  Princess 
was  not  so  much  restrained  by  the  etiquette  of  a 
court,  as  in  the  capital,  often  experienced  her  be- 
neficence and.  liberality,  and  frequently  obtained 
considerable  relief  from  her  privy  purse. 

Such  was  the  woman  sacrificed  to  a  man  she 
had  never  seen ;  and  though,  upon  the  occasion  of 
her  marriage,  the  usual  compliments  on  such  events 
forced  from  the  young  Queen  some  smiles  of  con- 
descension, yet  it  was  evident  to  the  by-standers 
that  her  mind  was  agitated  with  divers  doubts  and 
apprehensions,  the  natural  results  of  her  sensi- 
bility. Indeed,  from  the  very  first  this  alliance 
seemed  never  to  have  met  her  wishes,  or  to  have 
afforded  her  any  satisfactory  contemplations ;  on 
the  contrary,  it  was  observed  by  the  ladies  of  her 
acquaintance,  after  the  alliance  was  declared,  that 
she  became  pensive,  reserved,  and  disquieted, 
although  always  gracious,  without  taking  upon 
herself  more  state,  or  requiring  more  homage  from 
the  persons  admitted  into  her  presence.  Soon  af- 
ter the  ceremony,  she  left  her  native  country  with 


330  GEORGE   THE   THIRD,  1766-7. 

deep  regret;    but  her  subsequent  history  is  too 
well  known  to  need  further  mention  here. 

The  Polish  protestants,  or  dissidents,  as  they 
were  called,  having  for  some  time  been  deprived  of 
their  former  rights  and  privileges,  and  their  liberty 
of  worship  being  taken  away  at  the  instigation  of 
the  Romish  clergy,  his  Majesty,  convinced  that 
this  was  an  unjust  attack  upon  the  protestant  re- 
ligion as  such,  without  any  sufficient  cause  arising 
from  temporal  politics,  took  up  the  subject  per- 
sonally ;  and  on  the  4th  of  November,  a  day  marked 
in  the  protestant  cause,  the  British  ambassador 
presented  a  memorial  to  the  King  of  Poland  on 
that  subject,  which  restored  the  poor  suffering 
people  to  full  liberty  of  conscience  and  a  just  to- 
leration. 

A  slight  alteration  took  place  in  the  royal 
household  on  the  4th  of  December,  by  the  Earl 
of  Hertford  coming  in  as  lord  chamberlain,  in  the 
room  of  the  Duke  of  Portland  ;  and  it  was  at  the 
close  of  this  year  that  his  Majesty  conferred,  or 
rather  restored,  the  first  dukedom,  of  Northumber- 
land, that  of  the  title  of  Montague  being  the 
second,  or  last,  that  he  ever  gave  or  intended  to 
grant,  with  the  exception  of  his  own  sons  and 
brothers,  such  being  the  highest  title  in  his  power 
to  confer  even  upon  a  member  of  the  Royal  Fa- 
mily. There  can  be  no  doubt,  however,  that  he 
would  cheerfully  and  spontaneously  have  waived 


1766-7.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  331 

his  determination  in  the  case  of  the  illustrious 
Wellington,  of  whom  his  Majesty  heard  in  some 
lucid  intervals,  as  has  been  reported,  and  fully 
approved  of  the  rapid  honours  that  were  conferred 
upon  him. 

It  was  not  until  1784  that  the  King  thought  fit 
to  create  a  marquis,  the  late  Marquis  of  Bucking- 
ham, though  they  have  since  become  pretty  nu- 
merous, as  well  as  earldoms,  the  first  of  which  he 
granted  in  1761  to  the  Earl  of  Delawar.  Viscount 
Wentworth  in  1762  was  the  first  of  that  class  of 
nobility  in  his  reign ;  and  the  first  baron  was  Lord 
Grantham,  but  preceded  by  the  barony  of  Mount 
Stuart,  granted  to  the  Countess  of  Bute  on  the 
3d  of  April,  1761. 

Though  his  Majesty  was  no  freethinker  at  this 
period,  yet  such  was  his  regard  for  literature,  that 
he  granted  a  pension  to  Rousseau,  who  took  shel- 
ter in  England  from  his  enemies  at  home.  But 
Rousseau  was  a  man  that  could  not  fail  to  make 
himself  enemies  every  where,  as  he  did  even 
in  England;  many  curious  particulars  of  which 
are  well  recorded  in  Ritchie's  Life  of  Hume,  who 
seems  at  this  time  to  have  been  his  master  of  the 
ceremonies ;  the  philosopher,  however,  appears 
to  have  behaved  very  ill  to  the  historian.  His  Ma- 
jesty certainly  had  some  anxiety  lest  the  granting 
of  this  pension  should  appear  like  giving  counte- 
nance to  the  whims  of  the  misanthropic  infidel, 


332  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1766. 

for  he  insisted  that  it  should  not  be  made 
known  to  the  public.  Rousseau  most  gratefully 
accepted  the  royal  favour,  particularly  express- 
ing his  thanks  for  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
bestowed ;  but  when  he  quarrelled  with  Hume, 
he,  like  a  petted  child,  threw  up  the  grant,  yet 
indicating  at  the  same  time  a  desire  to  keep  it, 
provided  he  should  be  courted  to  do  so.  That 
however  was  what  a  King  of  England  could  not 
condescend  to  do  towards  an  arrogant  Frenchman, 
who  has  since  been  praised  by  Madame  de  Stael 
for  his  independent  spirit  in  refusing  English 
money,  as  if  the  royal  bounty  to  a  starving  adven- 
turer was  a  literary  or  political  bribe. 

There  is  a  curious  speculation  recorded  of  ano- 
ther French  philosopher  respecting  England  at 
that  period,  in  the  person  of  Voltaire,  who,  having 
heard  it  asserted  in  conversation  that  our  national 
debt  amounted  to  one  hundred  and  forty-eight 
millions  sterling,  was  at  first  incredulous  of  the 
fact,  but  being  at  length  convinced  of  its  truth,  he 
with  great  quickness  turned  it  into  French  livres, 
and  exclaimed  that  so  many  minutes  had  not 
elapsed  since  the  creation  ;  forgetting,  for  the  mo- 
ment, the  extreme  antiquity  which  he  had  himself 
contended  for,  of  this  our  globe,  founded  on  the 
fables  of  the  Chinese  astronomers. 

On  making  the  calculation,  however,  agreeable 
to  the  Mosaic  account,  as  substantiated  by  the 


17G6.        HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.        333 

immortal  Newton,  the  number  of  minutes  was 
actually  found  to  be  341,815  less  than  the  number 
of  livres. 

Amongst  other  literary  anecdotes  of  his  Majesty 
at  this  period,  is  one  connected  with  the  great 
Colossus  of  Literature,  the  much  praised  and 
often  vilified  author  of  the  Rambler.  We  give  it 
as  detailed  by  his  biographer,  the  indefatigable 
Boswell  : 

The  King,  being  informed  that  Dr.  Johnson 
occasionally  visited  the  royal  library,  gave  orders 
that  he  should  be  told  when  the  doctor  came 
thither  again,  that  he  might  have  the  pleasure  of 
his  conversation.  This  was  done  ;  and  no  sooner 
was  the  doctor  seated,  than  the  librarian  went  to 
communicate  the  information  to  his  Majesty,  who 
condescended  immediately  to  repair  to  the  spot. 
Johnson,  on  being  told  that  the  King  was  in  the 
room,  started  up,  and  stood  still.  The  King,  after 
the  usual  compliments,  asked  some  questions  about 
the  libraries  of  Oxford,  where  the  doctor  had  lately 
been,  and  inquired  if  he  was  then  engaged  in  any 
literary  undertaking.  Johnson  replied  in  the  ne- 
gative; adding,  that  he  had  pretty  well  told  the 
world  what  he  knew,  and  must  now  read  to  ac- 
quire more  knowledge.  The  King  said,  "  I  do 
not  think  you  borrow  much  from  any  body." 
Johnson  said,  he  thought  that  he  had  already 
done  his  part  as    a   writer.      "I    should    have 


334  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1766. 

thought  so  too/'  said  his  Majesty,  "if  you  had 
not  written  so  well."  The  King-  having  observed 
that  he  supposed  he  must  have  read  a  great  deal, 
Johnson  answered,  that  he  thought  more  than  he 
read  :  that  he  had  read  a  great  deal  in  the  early 
part  of  his  life,  but  having  fallen  into  ill  health,  he 
had  not  been  able  to  read  much  compared  with 
others ;  for  instance,  he  said,  he  had  not  read 
much  compared  with  Dr.  Warburton.  On  this 
the  King  said,  that  he  had  heard  Dr.  Warburton 
was  a  man  of  such  general  knowledge,  that  you 
could  scarce  talk  with  him  on  any  subject  on 
which  he  was  not  qualified  to  speak  ;  and  that  his 
learning  resembled  Garrick's  acting  in  its  univer- 
sality. His  Majesty  then  talked  of  the  contro- 
versy between  Warburton  and  Lowth,  and  asked 
Johnson  what  he  thought  of  it.  Johnson  answered, 
"  Warburton  has  most  general — most  scholastic 
learning;  Lowth  is  the  more  correct  scholar:  I  do 
not  know  which  of  them  calls  names  best."  The 
King  was  pleased  to  say  he  was  of  the  same  opi- 
nion ;  adding,  "  You  do  not  think  then,  Dr.  John- 
son, there  was  much  argument  in  the  case  ?" 
Johnson  said,  he  did  not  think  there  was.  "  Why 
truly,"  said  the  King,  "  when  once  it  comes  to 
calling  names,  argument  is  pretty  well  at  an  end." 
His  Majesty  next  asked  him  what  he  thought 
of  Lord  Lyttelton's  history,  which  was  then  just 
published.     Johnson  said,    he  thought  his  style 


1766.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  335 

pretty  good,  but  that  he  had  blamed  Henry  too 
much.  "  Why,"  said  the  King,  "  they  seldom 
do  these  things  by  halves."  "  No,  Sir,"  answered 
Johnson,  "  not  to  kings."  But  fearing  to  be  mis- 
understood, he  subjoined,  that  "  for  those  who 
spoke  worse  of  kings  than  they  deserved,  he  could 
find  no  excuse  ;  but  that  he  could  more  easily 
conceive  how  some  might  speak  better  of  them 
than  they  deserved,  without  any  ill  intention ;  for 
as  kings  had  much  in  their  power  to  give,  those 
who  were  favoured  by  them  would  frequently, 
from  gratitude,  exaggerate  their  praises  ;  and,  as 
this  proceeded  from  a  good  motive,  it  was  certainly 
excusable,  as  far  as  error  could  be  excusable."  The 
King  then  asked  him  what  he  thought  of  Dr.  Hill. 
Johnson  answered,  that  he  was  an  ingenious  man, 
but  had  no  veracity ;  and  immediately  mentioned, 
as  an  instance  of  it,  an  assertion  of  that  writer — 
that  he  had  seen  objects  magnified  to  a  much 
greater  degree  by  using  three  or  four  microscopes 
at  a  time,  than  by  using  one.  "  Now,"  added 
Johnson,  "  every  one  acquainted  with  micro- 
scopes knows,  that  the  more  of  them  he  looks 
through,  the  less  the  object  will  appear."  "Why," 
replied  the  King,  "  this  is  not  only  telling  an  un- 
truth, but  telling  it  clumsily  ;  for  if  that  be  the 
case,  every  one  who  can  look  through  a  micro- 
scope will  be  able  to  detect  him."  But  that  he 
might  not  leave  an  unfavourable  impression  against 


33G  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17G6. 

an  absent  man,  the  doctor  added,  that  Dr.  Hill 
was,  notwithstanding,  a  very  curious  observer ; 
and  if  he  would  have  been  contented  to  tell  the 
world  no  more  than  he  knew,  he  might  have  been 
a  very  considerable  man,  and  needed  not  to  have 
recourse  to  such  mean  expedients  to  raise  his 
reputation."  The  King  then  talked  of  literary 
journals,  mentioned  particularly  the  Journal  des 
Scavans,  and  asked  Johnson  if  it  was  well  done. 
Johnson  said  it  was  formerly  well  done,  and  gave 
some  account  of  the  persons  who  began  and  car- 
ried it  on  for  some  years  ;  enlarging  at  the  same 
time  on  the  nature  and  use  of  such  works.  The 
King  asked  him  if  it  was  well  done  now.  Johnson 
answered,  he  had  no  reason  to  think  it  was.  The 
King  next  inquired  if  there  were  any  other  lite- 
rary journals  published  in  this  kingdom  except 
the  Monthly  and  Critical  Reviews ;  and  on  being- 
assured  there  was  no  other,  his  Majesty  asked 
which  of  them  was  the  best.  Johnson  said,  that 
the  MonthlyReview  was  done  with  the  most  care, 
the  Critical  upon  the  best  principles  ;  adding, 
that  the  authors  of  the  former  were  hostile  to  the 
church.  This  the  King  said  he  was  sorry  to  hear. 
The  conversation  next  turned  on  the  Philoso- 
phical Transactions,  when  Johnson  observed,  that 
the  Royal  Society  had  now  a  better  method  of 
arranging  their  materials  than  formerly.  "  Aye," 
said  the  King,  "  they  are  obliged  to  Dr.  Johnson 


1768-7.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  33/ 

for  that;"  for  his  Majesty  remembered  a  circum- 
stance which  Johnson  himself  had  forgotten.  His 
Majesty  next  expressed  a  desire  to  have  the  lite- 
rary biography  of  this  country  ably  executed,  and 
proposed  to  the  doctor  to  undertake  it :  and  with 
this  wish,  so  graciously  expressed,  Johnson  readily 
complied. 

During  this  interview  the  doctor  talked  with 
profound  respect,  but  still  in  his  firm  manner, 
with  a  sonorous  voice,  and  never  in  that  subdued 
tone  which  is  common  at  the  levee  and  the  draw- 
ing-room. Afterwards  he  observed  to  Mr.  Bar- 
nard, the  librarian,  "  Sir,  they  may  talk  of  the 
King  as  they  will ;  but  he  is  the  finest  gentleman 
I  have  ever  seen."  And  he  also  observed  at 
another  time  to  Mr.  Lay  ton,  "  Sir,  his  manners 
are  those  of  as  fine  a  gentleman  as  we  may 
suppose  Louis  the  Fourteenth  or  Charles  the 
Second." 

At  the  time  when  the  works  of  Hume,  and  other 
writers  of  the  same  stamp,  occasioned  more  noise 
than  they  deserved,  his  Majesty,  who  was  always 
free  in  expressing  his  zeal  for  religion,  said  one 
day  very  happily,  in  allusion  to  the  powerful  ge- 
nius of  our  great  moralist,  and  the  impertinence 
of  the  sceptical  tribe,  "  I  wish  Johnson  would 
mount  his  dray-horse,  and  ride  over  those  fellows." 

It  is  well  known  that  he  also  exerted  the  royal 
influence  to  prevent  the  publication  of  Hume's 

VOL.  II.  z 


338  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  17CG-7. 

Essay  on,  or  Defence  of  Self-murder,   after  that 
philosopher's  decease. 

A  courtly  anecdote  of  this  period  is  recorded 
by  Bishop  Warburton  in  one  of  his  letters,  where 
he  says,  "  I   brought,   as  usual,  a  bad  cold  with 
me  to  town,  and  this  being  the  first  day  I  ventured 
out  of  doors,  it  was  employed,  as  in  duty  bound, 
at  court,  it  being  a  levee-day.     A  buffoon  lord  in 
waiting  (you  may  guess  whom  I  mean)  was  very 
busy  marshalling  the   circle ;  and  he  said  to  me 
without  ceremony,  '  Move  forward ;  you  clog  up 
the  doorway.'     I   replied  with  as   little,     '  Did 
nobody  clog  up  the  King's  doorway  more  than  I, 
there  would  be  room  for  all  honest  men.'     This 
brought   the  man  to  himself.     When   the   King 
came  up  to  me,  he  asked  why  I  did  not  come  to 
town  before  ?     I  said  I  understood  there  was  no 
business  going  forward  in  the  House,  in  which  I 
could  be  of  service  to  his  Majesty.     He  replied 
that  he  supposed  the  severe  storm  of  snow  would 
have  brought  me  up.     1  replied  that  I  was  under 
cover  of  a  warm  house.     You  see  by  all  this  how 
unfit  I  am  for  courts." 

In  the  course  of  this  year  his  Majesty,  in 
the  fullest  and  most  particular  manner,  evinced 
the  truth  of  his  repeated  promises  to  support 
and  encourage  the  manufactures  of  Britain  to 
their  greatest  possible  extent — an  event  which, 
in  fact,  may  be  said  to  have  laid  the  foundation 


1766-7.  HIS    COURT    AND    FAMILY.  339 

of  that  immense  system  of  manufacture  which 
has  raised  the  northern  and  middle  counties  to 
their  present  opulence.  In  a  period  of  disloyalty 
and  disaffection,  these  truths  cannot  be  too  much 
inculcated. 

Early  in  March,  steps  were  taken  in  the  House 
of  Commons  for  the  regulation  of  the  West  India 
trade,  one  of  which  was,  to  direct  that  the  ap- 
pointed Committee  should  consider  and  report  on 
the  proper  methods  for  the  encouragement  of  the 
importation  of  cotton- wool  into  this  kingdom. 

In  pursuance  of  that  report,  a  bill  was  brought 
into  the  House  on  the  15th  of  May;  and  in  its 
course,  a  motion  being  made  for  an  instruction  to 
the  Committee,  empowering  them  to  make  pro- 
vision in  the  bill  for  permitting  the  exportation 
of  cotton-wool  from  the  British  colonies  in  Ame- 
rica, free  from  the  payment  of  duty,  the  chan- 
cellor of  the  exchequer  instantly  acquainted  the 
House,  that  he  had  it  in  command  from  his  Ma- 
jesty to  say,  that  although  the  four  and  half  per 
cent,  duty,  especially  called  his  Majesty's  duty, 
appeared  to  be  an  increasing  revenue,  yet  the 
patriot  King,  desirous  of  contributing  to  the  im- 
provement of  the  manufactures  of  this  empire,  was 
very  willing  to  yield  up  that  revenue,  and  gave 
his  consent  most  cheerfully  that  the  House  might 
do  therein  as  they  should  think  fit. 

For   this  generous   condescension    it  was   in- 

z  2 


340  GFOllGE    THE    THIRD,  1766-7. 

stantly  resolved  unanimously,  that  an  humble 
address  should  be  presented  to  his  Majesty,  to 
return  the  most  humble  and  grateful  thanks  of  the 
House,  for  the  fresh  instance,  which  his  Majesty 
had  been  pleased  to  give,  of  his  great  attention  to 
the  improvement  of  the  trade  and  manufactures  of 
this  kingdom  in  his  gracious  message. 

This,  in  fact,  was  not  only  a  great  boon  to 
British  trade,  but  a  most  important  grant  in  a 
constitutional  point  of  view,  inasmuch  as  it  was 
a  part  of  the  hereditary  revenue,  over  which  the 
House  of  Commons  had  no  controul,  and  there- 
fore a  revenue  which  no  monarch  would  have 
willingly  given  up,  whose  intentions  had  been 
arbitrary,  or  who  had  possessed  the  slightest 
wish  to  pursue  a  system  of  bribery  or  corruption, 
of  which  his  Majesty  was  even  then  most  falsely 
accused. 

It  is  true  that  at  the  revolution  this  duty  had 
been  appropriated,  as  part  of  the  household 
grant,  to  William  ;  but  in  the  first  year  of  Anne 
it  was  considered  that,  as  this  revenue  was  grant- 
ed by  the  people  of  Barbadoes  and  the  Leeward 
Islands,  for  the  support  of  their  own  government, 
it  ought  not  to  be  appropriated  by  the  Parliament 
of  England,  nor  applied  to  the  support  of  the 
civil  government  of  England,  for  which  reason  it 
was  then  expressly  excepted  in  the  Act  of  Parlia- 
ment, appropriating  the  other  hereditary  revenues 


II  [S     K  OYA  f,    i  I  I  (ill  >'  K-SS 


E  DWARD,  I) V  KK    ok    K  E  NT. 


i 


1766-7.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  341 

to  the  support  of  the  civil  list.  The  result  was, 
therefore,  that  the  four  and  half  per  cent,  duty 
on  exports  from  the  West  Indies,  was  from  that 
period  payable  to  the  King  upon  the  throne,  over 
and  above  the  revenue  settled  upon  him  by  Par- 
liament, for  the  support  of  the  civil  list  as  at 
present  established. 

The  16th  of  September,  1767,  was  remarkable 
as  the  first  day  of  Lord  North  coming  into  office 
as  chancellor  of  the  exchequer,  but  not  as  first 
lord  of  the  treasury  till  1770;  and  on  the  ensuing 
day  his  Majesty  lost  his  favourite  brother,  the 
Duke  of  York,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  who 
expired  at  Monaco  in  Piedmont,  where  he  was 
attacked  by  a  fever,  on  his  way  to  the  various 
Italian  courts.  On  the  2d  of  November  the  Duke 
of  Kent  was  born ;  and  shortly  afterwards  a  ge- 
neral mourning  was  ordered  for  his  Royal  High- 
ness the  Duke  of  York. 

The  shortening  of  court  and  general  mourn- 
ings, on  account  of  home- trade,  is  not  a  novelty ; 
for  we  find  that  on  this  occasion,  his  Majesty,  in 
compassion  to  such  manufacturers  and  people  in 
trade,  as  by  the  usual  length  of  court  mournings 
would  be,  in  that  period  of  general  scarcity  and 
dearness  of  provisions,  deprived  in  a  great  degree 
of  the  means  of  getting  bread,  of  his  own  free 
act  and  judgment  declared  his  intention  that  all 
mourning  should  be  curtailed,  and  directed  the 


342  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1768. 

lord  chamberlain    to    take  the  proper   steps  for 
that  purpose. 

This  was  done  some  short  time  afterwards,  when 
a  great  number  of  Spitalfields  weavers,  both  mas- 
ters and  journeymen,  went  in  grand  procession 
through  the  metropolis  to  St.  James's  Palace,  in 
order  to  return  their  thanks  to  his  Majesty.  This 
expression  of  public  feeling  and  gratitude  was 
most  graciously  received,  and  afforded  the  King 
great  satisfaction. 

1768. 

In  the  early  part  of  this  year  his  Majesty  made 
some  changes  in  the  ministry,  General  Conway 
resigning  the  secretaryship  of  state  in  favour  of 
Lord  Weymouth ;  and  a  new  secretaryship  was 
also  created  for  the  Colonies,  the  affairs  of  North 
America  apparently  coming  now  to  a  crisis.  To 
this  office  the  Earl  of  Hilsborough  was  appointed  ; 
and  he  soon  had  full  employment  in  its  duties,  as 
it  was  in  February  of  this  year  that  the  legislature 
of  Massachusetts  declared  taxation  by  the  British 
parliament  to  be  unconstitutional,  and  started 
the  first  idea  of  a  general  congress  amongst  the 
states. 

To  enter  into  all  the  proceedings  of  this  period 
is  beyond  our  plan ;  but  we  may  observe,  that 
much  of  the  personal  odium  thrown  upon  the 
King,    in  consequence  of  the  language  used  in 


17C8.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  343 

the  state  papers  of  that  day,  was  very  unjustly 
applied. 

That  his  Majesty  was  anxious  to  preserve  his 
own  dominion  over  the  Colonies  cannot  surely  be 
matter  of  just  reproach :  nor  can  we  blame  him 
for  wishing  to  preserve,  in  a  national  point  of 
view,  those  lands  for  which  Britain,  during  the 
last  twenty  years  particularly,  had  shed  so  much 
blood,  and  expended  so  much  treasure.  Had  the 
King,  indeed,  been  possessed  of  the  gift  of  pro- 
phecy, he  might  perhaps  at  once,  on  his  own  part, 
have  conceded  independence  to  those  Colonies, 
and  left  them  to  defend  themselves  against  the 
attacks  of  France,  whose  armies,  acting  as  ene- 
mies, would  have  carried  on  a  more  decisive  war- 
fare than  was  either  possible  or  politic  for  British 
troops  to  do,  even  at  the  very  height  of  the  revo- 
lutionary war ;  but  would  the  nation,  at  home, 
have  consented  to  such  a  dereliction  of  power,  and 
to  such  a  total  change  of  policy  ? — To  that  ques- 
tion we  may  safely  answer,  No ! 

In  such  a  case  there  was  no  middle  course  to 
steer.  There  exists  sufficient  proof  to  shew 
that  the  Americans  would  not  tax  themselves  for 
the  British  treasury,  though  they  expected  the 
mother  country  still  to  protect  them,  even  with- 
out allowing  her  to  remunerate  herself  by  the  ex- 
clusive commerce  of  her  own  Colonies. 

Now  the  individual  wishes  of  the  King  were  bu- 


344  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1768. 

those  of  a  majority  of  the  nation  ; .  but  then  all  the 
harsh  threats  held  out  being  in  his  name,  the 
Americans,  not  aware  of  the  customary  forms  of 
government  papers,  considered  him  individually 
as  their  personal  enemy,  an  idea  caught  at  and 
fostered  by  their  friends,  and  by  the  friends  of 
riot  at  home,  who  at  length  succeeded  in  con- 
vincing a  great  part  of  the  nation  that  the  contest 
was  between  the  King  and  Colonies  solely,  and 
was  unconnected  with  the  general  rights  of  the 
nation. 

This  opinion  had  already  spread  considerably, 
and  tended  much  to  foment  those  riots  connected 
with  the  return  of  Wilkes  from  his  outlawry,  who 
had  previously  applied  to  the  Duke  of  Grafton  to 
solicit  a  pardon  from  the  King.  This  application 
being  treated  with  the  contempt  it  deserved, 
Wilkes,  expecting  a  dissolution  of  Parliament, 
actually  came  over,  and  had  the  insolence  to  ad- 
dress a  letter  to  the  King,  which  he  sent  to  him 
by  a  common  footman.  The  affair  is  well  de- 
tailed in  Almon's  publication,  where  also  may  be 
seen  full  details  of  the  unhappy  disturbances  in 
St.  George's  fields. 

Though  Wilkes's  outlawry,  through  some  formal 
technicality,  was  declared  illegal  by  the  Court  of 
King's  Bench,  he  did  not  escape  due  punishment 
for  his  two  libels,  his  fines  amounting  to  1000/. 
and  his  imprisonments  to  two  and  twenty  months. 


1768.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  345 

The  month  of  May  exhibited  one  of  the  shortest 
sessions  of  parliament  which  this  country  has  wit- 
nessed; its  meeting  taking  place  on  the  10th,  when 
an  act  was  passed  against  the  exportation  of  corn, 
and  loyal  addresses  presented  with  assurances 
of  parliamentary  support  to  his  Majesty,  followed 
by  a  prorogation  on  the  21st  of  the  same  month. 
The  King  about  this  period  lost  his  second  sister, 
the  Princess  Louisa ;  and  during  the  summer  the 
King  of  Denmark  paid  a  visit  to  this  country,  in 
which  he  displayed  much  folly,  but  met  with  "very 
little  personal  approval  from  his  royal  brother- 
in-law,  though  treated  with  all  the  splendour  of 
regal  magnificence.  His  table  alone  was  served, 
exclusive  of  wines,  at  the  rate  of  84/.  per  day  ; 
and  the  City  corporation,  and  other  public  bodies, 
gave  him  numerous  fetes. 

The  King  of  Denmark's  visit  to  England,  in- 
deed, placed  his  Majesty,  personally,  in  a  very 
awkward  situation,  but  in  which  he  conducted 
himself  with  much  good  sense  and  delicacy.  It 
cannot  be  doubted  but  that  he  was  fully  apprised 
of  the  unpleasant  circumstances  of  his  sister  Caro- 
line Matilda  at  the  Danish  Court,  from  the  machi- 
nations of  an  ambitious  stepmother,  and  also  of 
the  King  her  husband's  culpable  neglect  and  for- 
bearance. This,  in  fact,  was  the  true  and  just 
motive  of  the  cold  reception  which  the    Danish 


346  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1768. 

King  met  with  at  St.  James's,  and  of  his  Majesty's 
procrastination  in  receiving  at  his  palace  of  Rich- 
mond the  first  visit  of  this  royal  guest.  The  late 
Princess  Dowager  of  Wales  was  also  equally  well 
informed  and  displeased  on  account  of  the  illiberal 
and  unmerited  slights  her  daughter  had  so  often 
met  with  from  the  Queen  Dowager  and  her  son 
Prince  Frederick,  and  she  despised  that  King  for 
his  tame  submission  and  pusillanimity.  Notwith- 
standing all  this,  his  Majesty,  willing  to  shew  to 
royalty  the  exterior  marks  of  distinction  which 
sovereigns  mutually  expect  from  each  other,  inti- 
mated to  the  Royal  Family,  to  his  ministers,  and 
the  great  officers  of  state,  that  he  should  consider 
as  a  respectful  attention  paid  to  himself,  the  emu- 
lation of  the  nobility  in  procuring  the  King  of 
Denmark  whatever  was  conducive  to  his  amuse- 
ment and  information  in  this  kingdom.  Indeed, 
that  young  Monarch  received  the  most  distin- 
guished honours  from  an  hospitable  and  magnifi- 
cent court,  in  a  continued  succession  of  the  most 
brilliant  feasts,  and  the  most  sumptuous  entertain 
ments.  His  Majesty  himself  concluded  all  these 
festivities  in  a  princely  manner,  by  giving  to  the 
Danish  Monarch  a  grand  ball  and  supper  at  the 
Queen's  palace  :  but  though  the  King,  out  of  com- 
pliment to  him,  went  to  his  superb  masqued  ball 
at  the  Opera-house,  yet  he  did  not  mix  in  the 


I  !  E  K    R  OVA  L    Mil.  IIESS 


]'l;l  >"  ('  l-,sS,s   Arc,  [TSTA   SOIPJBI 


1768.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  347 

motley  throng,  but  merely  sat  for  some  time  in  a 
private  and  secluded  box,  where  he  could  quietly 
view  the  folly  and  bustle  of  the  scene. 

In  all  this  dignified  reserve,  his  Majesty  was 
fully  justified  by  the  previous  conduct  of  his 
brother-in-law ;  and  even  more  so  by  his  beha- 
viour at  the  British  capital,  which  can  best  be 
described  in  a  letter  from  the  Danish  Queen  to 
one  of  her  sisters, — "  I  wish  the  King's  travels 
had  the  same  laudable  objects  as  those  of  Cyrus ; 
but  I  find  that  the  chief  visitors  of  his  Majesty  are 
musicians,  fiddlers,  and  other  persons  designed 
for  employments  still  more  inglorious!" 

The  Princess  Augusta's  birth,  on  the  8th  of  No- 
vember, gave  the  corporation  of  London  another 
opportunity  of  approaching  his  Majesty,  which 
they  did  with  a  better  grace  than  on  some  pre- 
ceding occasions,  steering  clear  of  political  ani- 
madversion, and  confining  themselves  to  the  gra- 
tulations  on  the  happy  event,  mingled  with  be- 
coming loyalty  ;  a  circumstance  which  afforded 
the  King  great  satisfaction,  as  was  evidently 
marked  by  the  manner  in  which  he  received  and 
answered  their  address  at  the  levee. 

Connected  with  this  event,  amidst  the  usual  re- 
ception of  the  public  to  royal  cake  and  caudle,  on 
Sunday  the  13th  November,  a  curious  incident 
occurred  at  the  palace.  Two  young  ladies  having 
drank  plentifully  of  caudle,  were  detected  in  car- 


348  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1768. 

rying  off  a  large  quantity  of  cake,  and  some  of  the 
cups  in  which  the  caudle  had  been  served  up. 
They  were  allowed  however  to  escape  with  a  se- 
vere reprimand,  after  begging  pardon  on  their 
knees  for  so  disgraceful  an  act. 

In  his  attention  to  literature,  the  King  did  not 
neglect  the  practices  of  the  Universities  ;  and  this 
year  it  was  fully  understood  to  be  his  determina- 
tion that  the  Professorship  of  History  at  Oxford 
should  be  no  longer  a  sinecure.  Warton  was  a 
candidate;  but  Vivian  secured  it,  notwithstanding 
Bishop  Warburton's  solicitation  to  the  Duke  of 
Grafton,  the  chancellor.  Some  years  afterwards, 
however,  the  King  recompensed  Warton  for  his 
disappointment,  expressly  desiring  that  the  poet- 
laureatship  should  be  given  to  him.  But  that  his 
Majesty's  judgment  of  him  was  correct,  is  evident 
fromWarton's  conduct  when  afterwards  appointed 
Camden  Professor,  for  which  he  delivered  an  ex- 
cellent inaugural  lecture,  but  "  suffered,"  says  his 
biographer,  "  the  rostrum  to  grow  cold  whilst  it 
was  in  his  possession." 

About  this  period,  his  Majesty  understanding 
from  Dr.  Kennicott  that  there  was  in  London  a 
Hebrew  MS.  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  four 
centuries  previous  belonged  to  a  synagogue  at 
Jerusalem,  the  King  felt  extremely  desirous  of 
possessing  such  a  curiosity,  and  of  having  in  his 
library  things  which  might  be  useful  to  the  country ; 


17G8.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  349 

and  he  accordingly  bought  and  sent  it  to  Oxford, 
for  the  information  and  examination  of  the  learned 
at  that  University. 

Mr.  Townshend  died  this  year ;  and  the  King- 
felt  his  loss  so  sincerely  when  he  heard  it,  that  he 
exclaimed,  he  had  lost  one  of  the  ablest  and  best 
men  in  his  dominions  *. 

Amidst  all  the  bustle  of  politics,  the  King  still 
found  time  to  attend  to  the  arts  and  sciences ;  and 

*  Charles  Townshend  was  reckoned  to  possess  the  finest  ta- 
lents in  the  House  of  Commons:  his  only  fault  in  speaking,  per- 
haps, was,  looking  out  for  words  and  antitheses  to  ornament  his 
discourse,  which  sometimes  led  him  into  embarrassments.  His 
conversation,  however,  was  of  the  most  excellent  kind,  partak- 
ing of  almost  every  thing  which  could  adorn  it.  Some  people 
used  to  think  he  at  times  took  too  great  a  lead ;  but  he  talked 
so  much  from  the  fulness  of  his  mind,  his  humour  so  prevailing, 
and  his  wit  so  sudden  and  brilliant,  that  most  people  gave  way 
to  him,  well  pleased  to  let  him  take  their  turn. 

He  was,  besides  all  this,  a  fine  mimic :  and,  though  a  very 
handsome  man,  he  had  that  power  of  face,  that  he  could  in  a 
moment  transform  it  into  every  kind  of  deformity. 

It  was  from  these  talents,  that,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he 
became  the  patron  of  his  whole  family.  It  was  through  his  in- 
terest that^his  brother  Lord  Townshend  was  appointed  lord  lieu- 
tenant of  Ireland;  and  though  Mr.  Townshend  died  before  the 
appointment  was  made  out,  yet  the  King,  knowing  it  was  in 
train,  punctually  performed  his  promise  ;  and  his  lordship  soon 
after  set  out  for  Ireland,  where  he  continued  eight  years  with 
so  much  credit  to  himself,  and  advantage  to  the  country,  that 
the  anniversary  of  his  birth  is  still,  we  believe,  celebrated  there 
by  some  of  the  most  respectable  societies  in  that  kingdom. 


350  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1768. 

this  year  he  employed  Sir  William  Chambers  in 
building  the  observatory  at  Richmond,  of  which 
Dr.  Stephen  Demainbray  was  the  first  astronomer, 
that  edifice  being  fitted  up  with  the  very  best  in- 
struments, in  a  moveable  dome,  consisting  of  an 
eight-feet  transit  instrument,  a  twelve-feet  zenith 
sector,  an  equatorial  instrument  of  most  superb 
construction,  an  eight-feet  mural  arch,  and  a  ten- 
feet  reflector;  besides  a  very  handsome  collection 
of  natural  history,  many  fine  ores,  especially  from 
the  Hartz  forest  in  Germany,  and  a  complete  col- 
lection of  philosophical  experimental  apparatus. 

The  Royal  Academy  was  also  established  at 
this  period  under  the  King's  immediate  patronage, 
of  which  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  was  elected  the 
first  president ;  in  whose  Memoirs  by  Northcote 
much  literary  anecdote  of  this  era  may  be  found, 
illustrative  of  British  improvement  in  matters  of 
taste  and  fancy. 

Without  entering  into  any  very  special  details 
upon  this  subject,  it  must  still  be  interesting  to  view 
the  original  design,  and  to  compare  it  with  the 
present  state  of  the  Royal  Academy;  and  it  ap- 
pears, that  on  its  first  formation  it  was  announced 
to  the  world  that  his  Majesty,  ever  ready  to  en- 
courage useful  improvements,  and  always  intent 
upon  promoting  every  branch  of  polite  knowledge, 
had  been  graciously  pleased  to  institute  a  Royal 
Academy  of  Arts,  to  be  under  his  Majesty's  own 


1768.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  351 

immediate  patronage,  and  under  the  direction  of 
forty  artists  of  the  first  rank  in  their  several  pro- 
fessions. 

The  principal  object  of  this  Institution  was 
stated  to  be  the  establishment  of  well  regulated 
schools  of  design,  where  students  in  the  arts 
might  find  that  instruction  which  had  so  Ions* 
been  wanted,  and  so  long  wished  for  in  this 
country.  That,  therefore,  there  was  intended 
to  be  a  winter  academy  of  living  models  of  dif- 
ferent characters  to  draw  after,  and  a  summer 
academy  of  living  models  of  different  characters 
to  paint  after.  There  were  also  to  be  Laymen  with 
all  sorts  of  draperies,  both  ancient  and  modern, 
and  choice  casts  of  all  the  celebrated  antique 
statues,  groupes,  and  basso-relievos. 

Nine  of  the  ablest  academicians,  elected  an- 
nually from  amongst  the  forty,  were  to  superin- 
tend these  schools  by  rotation,  to  set  the  figures, 
to  examine  the  performances  of  the  students,  to 
advise  and  instruct  them,  and  to  turn  their  atten- 
tion towards  that  branch  of  the  arts  in  regard  to 
which  they  might  severally  appear  to  have  the 
aptest  disposition. 

In  order  also  to  instruct  the  students  in  the 
principles  and  laws  of  composition,  to  strengthen 
their  judgment,  to  form  their  taste  for  design  and 
colouring,  to  point  out  to  them  the  beauties  and 
imperfections  of  celebrated  performances,  and  the 


352  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,         1768. 

particular  excellencies  and  defects  of  great  mas- 
ters, to  fit  them  for  the  unprejudiced  study  of 
books,  and  to  lead  them  into  the  readiest  and  most 
efficacious  paths  of  study,  it  was  appointed  that 
there  should  be  a  Professor  of  Painting,  a  Profes- 
sor of  Architecture,  of  Anatomy,  and  of  Perspec- 
tive, who  should  annually  read  a  certain  number 
of  public  lectures  to  the  students  in  the  schools, 
for  the  general  purposes  recorded.  It  was  also  a 
part  of  the  original  plan,  that  there  should  be  an 
extensive  library,  containing  books  of  architec- 
ture, sculpture,  painting,  and  of  all  the  sciences 
connected  with  those  subjects;  also  books  of 
prints,  of  bas-reliefs,  vases,  trophies,  ornaments, 
ancient  and  modern  dresses,  customs  and  cere- 
monies, instruments  of  war  and  arts,  utensils  of 
sacrifice,  and  all  other  things  useful  to  the  stu- 
dents in  general. 

The  admission  to  these  establishments  was  to 
be  free  to  all  students  properly  qualified  to  reap 
advantage  from  such  studies  as  were  there  to  be 
cultivated.  The  professors  and  academicians, 
who  were  to  instruct  in  the  schools,  were  to 
have  proper  salaries  annexed  to  their  offices ; 
as  were  also  the  treasurer,  the  keeper  of  the 
academy,  the  secretary,  and  all  other  persons 
employed  in  the  management  of  the  institution ; 
his  Majesty,  for  the  commencement,  allotting  a 


1768.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.       353 

large  house  in  Pall-Mali  for  the  purposes  of  the 
schools,  &c. 

It  was  also  stated  that,  to  render  the  effects  of 
this  truly  royal  institution  conspicuous  to  the 
world,  there  should  be  an  annual  exhibition  of 
paintings,  sculptures,  and  designs,  open  to  all 
artists  of  distinguished  merit,  where  they  might 
offer  their  performances  to  public  view,  and 
acquire  that  degree  of  fame  and  encouragement 
which  they  might  be  deemed  to  deserve. 

It  was  also  said  then  to  be  a  primary  object 
of  the  establishment,  that  as  all  men  who  enter 
the  career  of  the  arts  are  not  equally  successful, 
and  as  some,  unhappily,  never  acquire  either 
fame  or  encouragement,  but  after  many  years  of 
painful  study,  at  a  time  of  life  when  it  is  too  late 
to  think  of  other  pursuits,  find  themselves  desti- 
tute of  every  means  of  subsistence ;  and  as  others 
are,  by  various  infirmities  incident  to  man,  ren- 
dered incapable  of  exerting  their  talents,  whilst 
some  are  cut  off  in  the  bloom  of  life  before  it  could 
be  possible  to  provide  for  their  families,  so  was 
it  his  Majesty's  gracious  intention,  as  a  part  of 
that  generosity  and  benevolence  which  overflowed 
every  action  of  his  life,  to  allot  a  considerable 
sum,  annually  to  be  distributed  for  the  relief  of 
indigent  artists  and  their  distressed  families. 

Such  being  the  plan,  it  was  not  too  much  to 

VOL.   I.  A   A 


354  GEORGE    THE    TH1UD,  1768. 

say,  that  even  this  slight  sketch  of  the  institution 
was  sufficient  to  convince  the  world  that  no 
country  could  boast  of  a  more  useful  establish- 
ment, nor  of  one  formed  upon  more  noble  prin- 
ciples. 

Indeed  the  present  flourishing  state  of  art  in 
this  country,,  arising  from  his  Majesty's  gracious 
patronage,  must  afford  abundant  matter  for  plea- 
surable contemplation  to  all  Englishmen  of  taste  ; 
especially  to  such  as  remember  the  ridiculous  opi- 
nions and  sarcasms  thrown  out  and  disseminated, 
not  long  since,  by  those  shallow  continental  critics, 
Abbes  Winkleman,  Du  Bos,  and  others,  who  have 
idly  busied  themselves  in  calculating  the  effects  of 
climate  on  the  human  imagination ;  endeavoured  to 
measure  the  degrees  of  genius  of  the  inhabitants, 
by  the  degrees  of  latitude  in  which  a  country 
happens  to  be  situated ;  and  have  ignorantly  and 
impudently  decided,  that  England  is  placed  too  far 
north  to  expect  any  of  those  warm  and  vigorous 
exertions  of  fancy,  experienced  in  the  more  south- 
ern, and  consequently  happier,  regions  of  Italy, 
and  other  countries  on  the  continent. 

The  futility  of  these  suppositions  has  been  ably 
exposed  by  an  eminent  artist  of  this  age,  in  an 
"  Enquiry  into  the  Causes  of  the  slow  Progress 
of  the  Arts  in  England;"  where  he  has  sufficiently 
proved,  what,  indeed,  no  Englishman,  or  foreigner 
acquainted  with  the  works  of  Englishmen,  could 


1768.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  355 

require  proof  of,  "  that  the  course  of  art  has  been 
impeded,  not  by  frigidity  of  climate  or  imagina- 
tion, but  by  various  politico-religious  causes, 
commencing  with  the  Reformation ;  and  much 
more  effectually  destructive  to  the  growth  of  re- 
finement and  taste,  and,  consequently,  to  the  pro- 
gress of  the  fine  arts,  than  any  combination  of 
frost,  fog,  wind,  rain,  and  sunshine,  incidental  to 
this,  or  perhaps  any  other  country,  Nova  Zembla 
and  Siberia  not  excepted. 

"  The  strength,  originality,  and  variety,  cer- 
tainly possessed  by  the  English  school,  consistent 
with  the  national  character,  and  its  having  made 
of  late  a  greater  improvement,  in  less  time,  than 
has  been  made  perhaps  by  any  other  since  the 
revival  of  the  arts,  might  very  rationally  excite  a 
hope  to  see  it  rival,  if  not  excel,  the  happiest 
productions  of  the  most  celebrated  schools  of 
Italy,  if  properly  seconded  by  taste  and  liberality 
in  the  public  ;  which  qualities  are  to  an  artist  of 
genius,  what  a  good  soil  is  to  a  plant  or  tree, 
and  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  can  be  expected 
to  flourish,  or  bear  fruit  of  the  highest  flavour,  if 
the  ground  be  uncongenial,  barren,  or  overgrown 
with  weeds." 

Mr.  Northcote  relates  that  the  President,  who 
was  knighted  in  honour  of  his  appointment,  had  a 
villa  at  Richmond,  of  which  Sir  William  Cham- 
bers was  the  architect.     During  summer  it  was 

a  a  2 


356  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1768. 

his  frequent  custom  to  dine  at  this  place  with 
select  parties  of  his  friends  :  and  it  happened 
some  little  time  before  he  was  to  be  elected 
mayor  of  Plympton,  that  one  day,  after  dining 
at  the  house,  he  and  his  party  took  an  evening 
walk  in  Richmond  gardens,  when  very  unexpect- 
edly, at  a  turning  of  one  of  the  avenues,  they 
suddenly  met  the  King,  accompanied  by  a  part 
of  the  Royal  Family ;  and  as  his  Majesty  saw 
him,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  withdraw  with- 
out being  noticed.  The  King  called  to  Reynolds, 
immediately  entered  into  conversation,  and  told 
him  that  he  had  been  informed  of  the  office  that 
he  was  soon  to  be  invested  with,  that  of  being 
made  the  mayor  of  his  native  town.  Sir  Joshua 
was  astonished  that  a  circumstance  so  minute  and 
inconsiderable,  which  indeed  was  of  importance 
only  to  himself,  should  have  come  so  quickly 
to  the  ears  of  his  Majesty ;  but  he  assured  him 
respectfully  of  its  truth,  saying,  that  it  was  an 
honour  which  gave  him  more  pleasure  than  any 
he  had  ever  received  during  his  life ;  but  then 
fortunately  recollecting  himself,  he  added,  "  ex- 
cept that  which  your  Majesty  was  graciously 
pleased  to  confer  upon  me." 

We  avail  ourselves  of  an  esteemed  periodical 
work,  to  add  some  particulars  respecting  Sir 
Joshua's  successor,  the  late  venerable  president, 
whose  first  interview  with  the  King  took  place  in 


1768.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  357 

February  1768,  before  the  exhibition  of  the  Agrip- 
pina  in  Spring-gardens,  that  year ;  and  it  not  only 
decided  the  future  fortune  of  Mr.  West,  but  had 
an  important  influence  on  the  fine  arts  in  this 
country. 

In  1767,  Mr.  West  exhibited  five  historical 
paintings  :  of  those,  Pyrrhus  when  a  child  brought 
to  Glaucus,  King  of  Illyria,  for  protection,  was 
particularly  applauded,  and  added  largely  to  his 
reputation.  Dr.  Drummond,  then  Bishop  of  York, 
had  seen  the  picture  of  the  young  Pyrrhus  at 
Spring-gardens,  and  was  so  struck  with  its 
merits,  that  he  called  on  the  painter  at  his  house, 
took  him  home  in  his  carriage  to  dine  with  him, 
and,  after  dinner,  gave  him  a  commission  to  paint 
the  Landing  of  Agrippina  with  the  ashes  of  Ger- 
manicus  at  Brundusium.  This,  according  to 
notes  taken  from  Mr.  West's  recollections,  was 
the  first  commission  for  an  historical  picture  that 
he  received  in  England.  When  this  painting  was 
finished,  that  prelate  was  so  pleased  with  its 
classical  feeling  and  grandeur,  that  he  mentioned 
it  in  terms  of  j  ust  praise  to  the  King,  who  ex- 
pressed a  wish  to  see  it  and  the  painter.  This 
was  an  important  crisis  to  Mr.  West.  His  Ma- 
jesty, on  the  day  of  introduction,  was  surprised 
at  the  historical  dignity  of  the  composition,  and 
pleased  with  the  modest  manner  of  the  artist. 
A  venerable  contemporary,  who  knew  him  well 


358  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1768. 

at  the  time,  has  enabled  us  to  describe  West  at 
that  period.  His  open  forehead,  mild  intelligent 
eye,  and  clear  healthy  complexion,  with  the 
gravity  of  his  dress,  and  that  primitive  tranquil- 
lity of  expression,  which  his  education  among  the 
Quakers  had  given  him,  formed  altogether  a  com- 
bination not  very  usual  in  a  courtly  circle.  He 
was  rather  below  the  middle  size,  but  a  light 
strongly-knit  figure,  well  formed  for  active  exer- 
cises. His  Majesty  conversed  with  him  affably, 
and  asked  some  questions  relative  to  his  birth- 
place in  America ;  the  Queen  joined  in  commend- 
ing the  Agrippina,  and  the  King  gave  him  a  com- 
mission to  paint  the  subject  of  Regulus  departing 
from  Rome  for  Carthage.  Elated  with  this  un- 
expected piece  of  good  fortune,  West  speedily 
executed  a  design  for  the  picture,  which  he  sub- 
mitted to  the  inspection  of  his  royal  patron,  who 
was  pleased  with  it,  remarked  upon  its  details, 
requested  him  to  favour  him  with  a  view  of  the 
painting  in  its  progress,  and  expressed  an  inten- 
tion of  employing  him  to  paint  his  portrait,  and 
that  of  his  consort. 

1769. 

It  is  no  part  of  our  plan  to  enter  upon  all  the 
politics  of  this  period  as  connected  with  the  affair 
of  Wilkes,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  riots  dur- 
ing the   Brentford   election,  already  mentioned ; 


1769.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  359 

but  we  may  record  the  firmness  which  his  Majesty- 
displayed  when  insulted  and  menaced  with  attack 
from  a  furious  mob,  that  rushed  into  the  court- 
yard of  St.  James's,  following  a  hearse  decorated 
with  insignia  of  the  most  shameful  description, 
with  a  person  seated  on  it  in  the  habit  of  an  ex- 
ecutioner, holding  an  axe  in  his  hand  and  his  face 
covered  with  crape — said  to  have  been  actually 
an  Irish  Viscount,  then  indeed  a  very  young  man, 
descended  from  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  that 
kingdom,  and  who  had  succeeded  to  his  title  about 
three  years  previously. 

Amidst  these  disgraceful  proceedings  the  King's 
firmness  and  presence  of  mind  never  deserted  him 
a  moment;  but  he  remained  in  the  drawing-room, 
displaying  the  utmost  coolness,  whilst  the  palace 
and  the  surrounding  streets  resounded  with  the 
clamour  of  an  infuriated  mob,  and  issuing  the  ne- 
cessary orders,  which  his  ministers  seemed  inca- 
pable of  giving. 

Though  it  is  not  our  intention  to  enter  into  all 
the  party  politics  of  the  period,  or  to  recapitulate 
all  the  grievances  complained  of  in  the  petitions 
and  remonstrances  from  all  parts  of  the  empire 
against  the  men  in  power ;  yet  we  may  record 
the  whimsical  statement  of  a  humorous  foreigner, 
who  observed  that  "  In  England  the  people  are 
taxed  in  the  morning  for  the  soap  that  washes 
their  hands ;  at  nine  for  the  coffee,  the  tea,  and 


360  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1769. 

the  sugar  they  use  for  breakfast;  at  noon  for 
starch  to  powder  their  hair;  at  dinner  for  the 
salt  to  savour  their  meat ;  in  the  evening  for  por- 
ter to  cheer  their  spirits ;  all  day  long  for  the  light 
that  enters  the  windows,  and  at  night  for  the 
candles  to  light  them  to  bed."  All  this  is  cer- 
tainly very  true ;  yet  the  people  of  England  were 
not  the  less  flourishing,  nor  have  they  sunk  under 
a  taxation  tenfold  in  degree.  Taxation  is  not  al- 
ways an  absolute  deprivation  of  wealth :  but  is 
rather  a  temporary  loan  from  the  individual  to  the 
public  purse,  for  which  he  is  repaid  by  protection, 
security,  extended  employment,  and  an  increased 
stimulus  to  general  industry.* 

•  Whilst  on  this  subject,  and  in  those  days  of  discontent, 
we  trust  that  we  shall  not  overstep  our  plan  by  inserting  the 
following  remarks  from  an  esteemed  periodical  publication,  the 
New  Monthly  Magazine,  for  April  1820. 

"  Here  we  shall  be  reminded  of  the  immense  amount  of  the 
national  debt,  with  the  insupportable  burdens  it  has  brought 
on  the  country,  and  the  wonderful  increase  of  pauperism  in 
consequence.  We  are  not  enamoured  with  the  national  debt : 
all  debts  are  evils,  in  proportion  to  their  magnitude  ;  and  a  great 
national  debt  is  a  great  national  evil.  But,  if  any  one  were  to 
take  the  debtor  side  only  from  a  merchant's  books,  he  would 
infallibly  prove  that  merchant  to  be  in  a  state  of  bankruptcy, 
while  all  the  world  would  exclaim  against  the  injustice  of  the 
statement ;  so  is  it  with  our  national  debt.  It  is  necessary,  be- 
fore we  can  draw  towards  a  just  determination  of  the  account, 
to  know  for  what  it  was  contracted  ? — to  whom  ? — under  what 
circumstances  ?  and  whether  any  counterbalance  of  credits,  of 


1769.        HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.       361 

The  first  hostile  embarkation  of  troops  for 
America  took  place  this  summer,  where  they 
landed  on  Michaelmas-day;  on  which  day  the 
first  congress,  or  convention,  broke  up  its  deli- 
berations at  Boston,  perhaps  a  little  hurried  by 
the  arrival  of  the  troops  in  that  harbour. 

The  parliamentary  session  of  1769  was  opened 
by  a  royal  speech,  which  dwelt  principally  upon 
the  rebellious  principles  and  practices  of  the  North 
American  colonies,  which  were  most  probably  the 
cause  of  that  deficiency  in  the  civil  list  which 
obliged  his  Majesty  in  February  to  inform  the 
two  Houses  that  he  had  been  forced  to  incur  a 
debt  of  half  a  million,  and  that  he  relied  on  their 

effects  and  of  consequences,  can  be  brought  to  account  per  con- 
tra. For,  we  are  old  enough  to  have  enjoyed  the  conversation 
of  those  who  were  in  the  confidence  of  Sir  Robert  Walpole  ;  of 
those  who  thought  it  possible  that  the  national  debt  7iiight  be  in- 
creased to  a  hundred  millions ;  but  a  hundred  millions  was  the 
ne  plus  ultra  of  the  national  debt;  there  it  must  stop  ;  and  that 
was  the  point  of  national  bankruptcy.  Our  readers,  who  are 
living  witnesses  of  the  magnitude  of  this  incumbrance,  at  the 
present  moment,  will  scarcely  credit  what  we  have  asserted; 
or  they  will  take  the  other  alternative,  and  smile  at  the  predic- 
tions which  time  has  so  completely  falsified.  They  will  have 
observed,  too,  in  the  present  paper,  evidences  that  this  "  dead 
weight,"  a j  many  call  it,  has  not  produced  those  destructive 
effects  on  the  kingdom,  nor  on  the  principal  branches  (and 
causes)  of  its  prosperity,  which  were  confidently  expected.  Has 
our  agriculture  ceased  ?  Have  our  arable  lands  been  returned 
to  common  wastes  ?  Do  we  really  grow  less  corn  per  acre  ?    Is 


362  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1769. 

zeal  and  affection  to  enable  him  to  discharge  it. 
Malice  indeed  asserted  that  the  deficiency  arose 
from  improper  appropriations  to  the  King's  private 
treasures  ;  but  it  is  more  probable  that  ministers 

the  quality  deteriorated  ?  Does  the  bushel  contain  more  chaff 
and  less  meal  ?  It  is  presumed,  that  the  quality,  taking  the  aver- 
age of  Britain,  never  was  finer.  It  is  presumed,  that  the  pro- 
duce, per  acre,  never  was  greater ;  and  it  is  presumed,  also, 
that  the  spread  of  corn  sown  and  reaped  never  was  more  ex- 
tensive. 

We  ask  again,  whether  the  poorer  portion  of  our  population 
are  reduced  from  the  coarse  fare  of  their  ancestors  to  stillcoarser? 
Is  there  less  animal  food  consumed  by  those  in  the  humbler 
walks  of  life  than  was  consumed  by  their  forefathers?  Have 
they  abandoned  the  barley-bread  formerly  in  vogue, — the 
oaten  cake, — the  plank-bread, — the  thick  pottage,  for  inferior 
nourishment, — for  "  husks  which  the  swine  did  eat,"  to  use  a 
language  strongly  expressive  of  the  miseries  of  famine?  No 
such  thing:  the  proportion  of  barley  and  oats  used  as  sustenance 
for  man  is  very  much  diminished;  the  proportion  of  wheat  con- 
sumed by  the  indigent  is  incalculably  increased;  the  use  of 
animal  food  never  was  so  general;  and,  what  excites  the  asto- 
nishment of  strangers,  the  prevalence  of  foreign  luxuries,  es- 
pecially of  that  fascinating  beverage  tea,  if  not  to  be  enume- 
rated among  our  national  sins,  is  certainly  to  be  considered 
as  a  symptom  of  willing  change,  a  substitution  supposed,  at 
least,  to  possess  the  character  of  superiority. 

If,  then,  our  arts  have  received  life  and  energy,  if  our  ma- 
nufactures employ  a  greater  number  of  hands,  if  our  commerce 
engages  a  greater  number  of  vessels,  if  our  ports  demand  ex- 
tended accommodations,  if  our  agriculture  is  improved,  if  our 
population  is  increased,  if  our  military  and  naval  strength  is 
augmented  ;  if  general  knowledge   and    literature  are  all  but 


1769.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  363 

had  applied  the  money  to  purposes  connected 
with  the  intestine  and  colonial  commotions  of 
the  time. 

It  was  in  the  autumn  of  this  year   that  the 

universal  among  us,  and  if  rational  and  constitutional  liberty- 
still  prevails,  whence  are  all  the  terrors  attributed  to  the  na- 
tional debt?  Has  it  ruined  us  as  yet  ?  But,  "we  are  heavily 
taxed."  Let  us  state  the  question  fairly,  tea  is  heavily  taxed: 
but,  unless  we  must  drink  tea,  how  are  we  taxed  ?  Sugar  is 
heavily  taxed  :  but  we  are  not  taxed  :  although  it  may  be,  and 
is,  true  enough,  that  we  tax  ourselves  by  using  it.  Wine  is 
taxed,  rum  is  taxed,  and  so  on  :  but  only  those  who  drink  wine 
and  rum  are  really  taxed,  and  they  no  farther  than  they  think 
proper,  or  find  convenient  to  indulge  in  the  use  of  those  liquors ; 
for  the  use  of  those  liquors  is  an  indulgence  ;  and  if  people  will 
have  their  indulgencies,  let  them  pay  for  them. 

When  we  have  deducted  from  the  list  of  supposed  personal 
burdens  that  great  portion  of  taxation  which  attaches  to  foreign 
luxuries,  we  shall  do  well  to  enquire  what  proportion  of  inter- 
nal taxes  actually  falls  on  those  unable  to  bear  them.  To  the 
eye  of  contemplative  reason  it  is  not  easy  to  see  how  the  duties 
levied  on  horses,  carriages,  hunting  dogs,  livery  servants,  nu- 
merous windows,  &c. — the  unenviable  establishments  of  no- 
bility— can  affect  the  poor:  and,  say  certain  argujiers,  "the 
bulk  of  the  nation  is  poor ;"  why,  then,  the  bulk  of  the  nation 
is  not  affected  by  these  taxes.  But,  they  are  by  others;  and 
it  would  be  an  imputation  on  the  governing  powers  if  they  were 
not:  "  England  expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty  ;"  and  a  part 
of  his  duty  is,  to  bear  his  share  of  the  public  incumbrances. 
It  will  be  recollected,  that  of  these  only  we  are  treating,  and 
as  connected  with  the  national  debt:  not  of  anv  local,  or  dis- 
trict  assessments,  or  of  any  charge  that  does  not  come  into  the 
national  accounts. 


364  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,         1769. 

famous  redress  of  grievances  was  presented  by 
the  city ;  soon  after  which  Wilkes  obtained  a 
verdict  of  4000/.  damages  against  Lord  Halifax 
for  the  seizure  of  his  papers.  It  was  generally 
understood,  that  the  King  had  declared  that  he 
would  cover  all  the  expenses  of  his  servants  in 

The  national  debt  originated  in  the  days  of  King  William, 
and  at  the  accession  of  Queen  Anne  amounted  to  upwards  of 
sixteen  millions.  Each  succeeding  war  increased  this  incum- 
brance, till,  in  the  year  1760,  or  rather  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  war  in  1763,  the  amount  exceeded  one  hundred  and  forty-six 
millions.  The  war  of  the  American  revolution  augmented  it  to 
two  hundred  and  fifty-seven  millions,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  fo- 
reign enemies  and  rivals  of  Britain ;  to  the  great  alarm  of 
foreigners  who  had  property  (and  dealings)  with  Britain,  who 
thought,  surely  the  ruin  of  the  country  was  at  hand  :  and  to  the 
no  small  discomfort  and  gloom  of  the  whole  kingdom.  In  fact, 
here  we  rest  our  argument :  we  were  then  told,  that  all  was 
lost;  and  this  was  so  generally  re-echoed,  that  the  individual 
who  did  not  believe  it,  and  acknowledge  that  belief,  was  be- 
held with  symptoms  of  pity,  or  astonishment.  The  years  1785, 
86,  and  87,  were  passed  in  much  anxiety  by  every  well-wisher 
to  his  country. 

But,  ere  long,  a  different  scene  presented  itself;  the  nation 
began  to  breathe  freely;  trade  revived,  commerce  acquired 
an  activity  never  before  experienced,  and  the  antagonists  of 
this  country  (we  speak  from  our  own  knowledge,  and  from 
their  publications)  were  more  than  astonished  ;  and  mortified, 
too,  when  they  felt  the  consequences  of  their  political  immo- 
rality and  misconduct,  while  we  stood  on  "  vantage  ground/* 
and  sympathized  with  their  approaching  sufferings. " 


17C9.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  365 

this  affair  ;  a  circumstance  which,  it  has  been  said, 
induced  the  jury  not  to  grant  larger  damages  ! 

His  Majesty  indeed,  though  accused  of  obsti- 
nacy by  his  enemies,  gained  much  applause  from 
his  friends  for  the  resolution  with  which  he  sup- 
ported his  ministers  on  all  points  which  he  ap- 
proved of.  During  the  extreme  unpopularity  of 
the  Duke  of  Grafton,  the  King  never  deserted 
him.  The  country  also  owed  much  to  him,  when 
his  ministers  were  almost  afraid  to  put  the  laws 
in  force ;  and  it  was  to  him  personally  that  the 
civil  power  was  obliged  to  look  for  authority 
at  the  execution  of  the  Spitalfields  rioters  at 
Bethnal  Green,  a  change  of  place  the  legality 
of  which  had  been  previously  referred  to  the 
twelve  Judges. 

Though  thwarted  in  almost  every  public  mea- 
sure, his  Majesty  was  not  tired  of  doing  good, 
especially  in  the  encouragement  of  the  Magdalen 
Hospital,  a  charity  of  some  standing,  and  of  which 
the  Queen  was  patroness,  but  first  incorporated 
in  1769. 

Nor  did  he  neglect  his  own  private  avocations, 
especially  in  the  repair  and  adornment  of  Wind- 
sor Castle,  on  which  he  was  now  actively  en- 
gaged, and  which  was  long  his  favourite  resi- 
dence; and  an  act  of  parliament  having  passed 
for  the  paving   and    lighting  of  that  town,  his 


3GG  GEORGE    THE   THIRD,  1770. 

Majesty  generously  bestowed  1000/.  towards  the 
same. 

The  close  of  the  year  was  distinguished  by  the 
well  known  letter  of  Junius  to  his  Majesty,  which 
appeared  in  the  Public  Advertiser  of  the  19th 
December  ;  a  most  virulent  personal  attack  upon 
the  Monarch,  accusing  him  of  being  the  author 
of  all  those  measures  which  the  writer  chose  to 
stigmatize  as  crimes,  and  describing  the  ministry 
as  objects  both  of  abhorrence  and  contempt. 

1770. 

The  style  of  that  most  extraordinary  address 
seems  to  have  paralyzed  the  minds  of  the  cabinet, 
as  it  was  on  the  opening  of  the  next  session  of  par- 
liament, 9th  January,  1770,  that  they  got  up  that 
royal  speech  which  occasioned  so  much  animad- 
version for  its  allusions  to  the  distemper  amongst 
the  horned  cattle,  without  noticing  the  political 
distempers  then  raging  throughout  the  kingdom, 
excited  by  the  clamour  about  the  Brentford  elec- 
tion, in  the  affair  of  Wilkes  and  Luttrell. 

It  was  indeed  wittily  said,  in  the  style  of  Con- 
greve  and  our  old  comedy-writers,  that  as  the  citi- 
zens had  taken  the  most  prominent  part  in  those 
discontents,  so  the  notice  of  the  horned  cattle 
might  have  been  a  political  allegory;  but  wit 
could  not  save  the  ministers,  the  greatest  part  of 
whom  instantly  resigned,  and  on  the  28th  of  the 


1770.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  367 

month,  Lord  North*  assumed  the  office  of  first 
lord  of  the  treasury,  in  addition  to  the  chancellor- 
ship of  the  exchequer,  the  Duke  of  Grafton  giving 
up  all  ostensible  connection  with  the  government. 

*  This  very  amiable  (though  politically  unfortunate)  noble- 
man went  into  business  very  early  in  life,  and  attached  himself 
to  the  duties  of  his  office  with  unremitting  care  and  assiduity. 
To  an  excellent  classical  education,  and  many  social  qualities, 
he  joined  a  knowledge  of  the  German,  French,  and  Italian 
languages,  with  a  temper  of  that  naturally  conciliating  dispo- 
sition, that  the  severest  of  his  parliamentary  opponents  were 
no  longer  such  out  of  the  sphere  of  politics. 

When  he  was  young  in  office,  as  one  of  the  lords  of  the  trea- 
sury under  the  old  Duke  of  Nevvcasle,  he  was  met  one  morning 
by  the  late  George  Grenville,  and  another  gentleman,  walking 
in  the  Park,  and  muttering  something  to  himself,  seemingly  as 
if  rehearsing  an  oration.  "Here  comes  blubbering  North," 
says  the  latter  to  Mr.  Grenville  ;  "  I  wonder  what  he  is  getting 
bv  heart,  for  I  'm  sure  it  can  be  nothing  of  his  own."  "  You're 
mistaken,"  says  the  other;  "North  is  a  young  man  of  great 
promise  and  high  qualifications,  and  if  he  does  not  relax  in  his 
political  pursuits,  is  very  likely  to  be  the  prime  minister  of 
this  country."  This  prediction  was  fulfilled  twelve  years  af- 
terwards. 

Of  his  wit  and  good-humour  we  have  too  many  instances  to 
doubt.  He  never  strained  for  either.  Like  the  great  Earl  of 
Bath,  he  had  them  always  at  command;  nor  had  he  the  sordid 
vices  of  avarice  and  ambition  to  balance  those  pleasing  quali- 
ties. Mr.  Burke  paid  a  just  tribute  to  the  former  one  day  com- 
ing out  of  the  House  of  Commons,  after  his  lordship  had  kept 
them  in  a  roar  of  laughter  for  some  minutes  before.  "Well, 
there's  no  denying  it,  this  man  has  more  wit  than  all  of  us 
(meaning  the  Opposition)  put  together.'' 


368  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1770. 

American  affairs  were  now  coming  to  a  crisis. 
In  March,  riots  took  place  at  Boston,  in  which 
the  soldiery  were   forced  to   fire  in   their    own 

One  day  when  Alderman  Sawbridge  was  haranguing  on  his 
annual  motion  in  favour  of  annual  parliaments,  looking  over  to 
the  treasury  bench  (the  day  being  extremely  hot)  he  observed 
Lord  North  with  his  head  reclining  on  his  left  shoulder,  seem- 
ingly asleep ;  upon  which  he  stopped  short,  and  cried  out, 
"  But  what  signifies  my  endeavours  to  come  at  the  root  of  this 
political  evil,  when  the  noble  lord  in  the  blue  ribband  is  so 
little  attentive  to  me  that  he  has  fallen  into  a  profound  sleep  ?" 
This  raised  a  laugh  with  the  alderman's  party ;  which  his 
lordship  immediately  turned  against  them  by  observing,  loud 
enough  to  be  heard,  "  No,  I  was  not  asleep ;  but  ]  wish  to  God 
I  had  been." 

Coming  up  to  the  door  of  the  House  of  Commons  one  evening 
rather  late,  Pearson,  the  door-keeper,  stopped  him,  and,  in  his 
laconic  free  manner  of  speaking,  said,  "  No,  my  lord,  you 
can't  come  in  here."  "  Why  so  ?"  said  his  lordship,  somewhat 
surprised.  "  Because  they  are  now  bal lotting  for  an  election 
committee,  and  the  doors  of  course  are  locked."  "  Aye,"  says 
his  lordship  with  a  smile;  "  and  yet  this  is  rather  hard,  consi>* 
dering  some  people  call  this  my  House  of  Commons." 

Having  had  some  prescience  of  a  fit  of  the  gout  coming  on 
him,  he  desired  his  man  to  get  him  his  large  gouty  shoes. 
The  man  looked  for  them  for  some  time,  but  not  finding  them 
in  the  usual  places  where  he  generally  put  them,  concluded 
they  were  stolen,  and  began  cursing  the  thief.  "  Poh,"  says 
his  lordship,  seemingly  very  gravely,  though  at  the  same  time 
agitated  with  some  pain,  "  how  can  you  be  so  ill-natured,  John? 
Now  all  the  harm  I  wish  the  poor  vogue  is,  that  my  shoes  may 
Jit  him." 

Lord  Norih  being  one  of  the  governors  of  the  Charter-house, 


1770.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  369 

defence,  and  several  lives  were  lost.  This  was 
the  first  blood  shed  in  that  unhappy  civil  war- 
fare. 

a  formal  complaint  was  made  to  him  by  one  of  the  pensioners 
of  that  hospital,  that  the  victuals  were  not  so  good  as  they 
should  be,  particularly  the  beef,  which  at  times  was  not  eat- 
able. This  complaint  being  renewed,  his  lordship  went  pri- 
vately one  morning  to  the  Charter-house,  and  asking  the  house 
steward  whether  he  had  any  cold  beef  in  the  house  (such  as 
the  pensioners  usually  eat),  desired  he  would  bring  it  up.  The 
beef  was  accordingly  introduced,  the  look  of  which  so  pleased 
his  lordship  that  he  immediately  asked  him  if  be  could  provide 
him  with  mustard,  bread,  and  small  beer^  which  being  likewise 
brought,  his  lordship  took  a  chair,  and  eat  a  very  hearty 
luncheon:  after  this  he  ordered  the  complainant  to  be  brought 
up,  and  then  asked  him  whether  that  was  the  same  kind  of  beef 
usually  served  ?  The  man  said,  "  Yes/'  "  And  the  same  small 
beer,  bread,  mustard,  &c.  ?  ''  "  Yes,"  says  the  man,  "  I  be- 
lieve pretty  much  the  same."  "  Why  then,"  says  his  lordship, 
"  all  I  have  to  say  is  this:  if  you  have  any  complaint  in  future 
to  make  about  such  provisions,  you  must  apply  to  another  go- 
vernor, and,  as  there  is  no  disputing  tastes,  he  might  perhaps 
redress  you ;  but  as  for  my  part,  as  you  may  see,  my  friend, 
(pointing  to  his  plate)  I  have  decidedly  given  it  against  you." 

When  his  brother,  afterwards  bishop  of  Winchester,  was  mar- 
ried to  his  amiable,  lady,  who  was  a  Miss  Bannister,  a  confiden- 
tial friend  was  asking  his  lordship,  what  could  be  his  brother's 
motive  for  the  match  ?  "  She  is  no  professed  beauty,  no  great 
fortune,  and  no  great  family."  "  Why,  in  respect  to  her  beauty 
and  fortune  I  have  not  much  to  say  of  either,  but  I  must  beg 
your  pardon  in  respect  to  blood,  as  I  hear  she  is  very  nearly 
related  to  the  Stairs." 

Towards  the  close  of  the  American  war,  a  noble  lord  in  the 

VOL.   I.  B  B 


370  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1770. 

The  interference  of  the  City  of  London  this 
year  in  general  politics  produced  some  remark- 
able events  connected  with  the  inscription  on  the 

other  House  having,  in  the  warmth  of  debate,  called  Lord  North 
"  this  thing  of  a  minister,"  some  injudicious  friends  exagge- 
rated the  matter  to  him,  wanting  to  make  it  a  personal  quarrel, 
and  said  they  thought  his  lordship  should  resent  it.  "  And  so 
I  will,"  says  his  lordship  very  coolly,  "  by  continuing  in  office, 
as  I  know  his  lordship  has  no  other  resentment  against  me  than 
wishing  to  be  the  thing  I  am." 

On  the  evening  of  that  day  when  he  moved  an  adjournment 
of  the  House  for  a  few  days  for  the  purpose  of  resigning  his 
office,  coming  through  the  lobby  of  the  House  arm  in  arm  with 
one  of  his  friends,  he  asked  him  to  go  home  and  dine  with  him  : 
the  other  told  him  he  would  with  pleasure,  but  was  partly  en- 
gaged. "  Come,  come,"  says  his  lordship,  "  put  off  your  en- 
gagement, and  have  the  virtue  to  say,  you  dined  with  a  fallen 
minister  on  the  very  day  of  his  dismissal."  The  friend  assented, 
and  went  home  with  him. 

Upon  his  retirement  from  office,  he  went  down  to  Bath  for 
the  recovery  of  his  health,  and  particularly  for  his  sight,  which 
was  nearly  lost.  The  conversation  turning  one  day  after  dinner 
on  the  perishable  condition  of  party  zeal  and  political  enmity, 
his  lordship  thoroughly  agreed  in  the  principle;  "  and  as  a 
proof  of  it,"  says  he,  "  there  is  Colonel  Barre  (who  by  the  bye 
was  as  blind  as  his  lordship)  ;  no  man  has  opposed  me  more  in 
the  House  of  Commons  than  he  has,  and  I,  of  course,  him;  and 
yet  I  can  fairly  answer  for  myself,  and  I  dare  say  I  may  equally 
do  so  for  him,  we  should  be  both  very  glad  to  see  one  another  at 
this  moment." 

The  cause  of  Lord  North's  blindness,  it  is  said,  originated 
from  the  frequency  of  sanding  his  dispatches.  He  was  naturally 
very  near-sighted,  and  carried  up  every  paper  he  looked  at  im- 


1770.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  371 

statue  of  Beckford  in  the  Guildhall ;  when  a  few 
days  after  the  rising-  of  parliament,  an  address  was 
presented,  expressing  the   deep  concern   which 

mediately  under  his  eye  ;  the  papers  which  were  fresh  written 
he  sanded  in  this  position,  which  being  so  frequently  repeated, 
the  dust  settled  in  his  eyes,  and  ultimately  produced  a  total 
blindness. 

The  natural  civility  and  good-humour  of  this  nobleman  left 
him  no  enemies  out  of  the  House  of  Commons.  Even  the  prin- 
cipals of  Opposition  knew  these  qualities  to  be  so  predominant 
in  his  lordship,  that  they  frequently  petitioned  him,  as  first 
lord  of  the  treasury,  for  little  favours  and  indulgences  for 
their  friends  and  constituents,  which  he  as  readily  granted 
when  he  could  do  it  with  propriety,  and  this  they  frequently 
acknowledged. 

To  the  brother  of  one  of  his  principal  opponents  in  the  House 
of  Commons  he  continued  a  very  valuable  Collection  in  the  Co- 
lonies almost  during  the  whole  of  his  administration.  He  was 
often  spoke  to  about  displacing  him,  and  he  as  constantly  an- 
swered, "  Why  should  I  visit  the  sins  of  the  brother  upon  a  man 
who  does  his  duty,  and  has  given  me  no  particular  offence  ?  " 

In  short,  like  his  predecessor  Sir  Robert  Walpole,  though 
very  much  baited  during  his  administration,  he  had  no  enemies 
as  a  man;  he  lived  long  enough  out  of  office  to  be  reconciled  to 
all  his  political  opposers,  who,  when  the  cause  of  contention 
ceased,  had  candour  enough  to  acknowledge  his  private,  worth 
and  integrity. 

He  met  his  blindness  and  increasing  infirmities  with  great 
firmness  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  and  even  with  a  good 
humour,  and  flashes  of  wit  and  merriment,  that  made  his  table 
one  of  the  most  desirable  places  to  be  a  guest  at. 

In  his  last  moments  he  only  regretted  not  having  it  in  his 
power  to  meet  his  favourite  and  youngest  son,  who  the  morning 

B   B    2 


372  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1770. 

the  city  felt  at  the  awful  sentence  of  censure 
passed  upon  it  in  a  previous  answer  from  the  throne 
to  an  address  for  dissolution  of  parliament  and  re- 
moval of  ministers.*  In  reply,  his  Majesty  ob- 
served, that  he  should  have  been  wanting  to  the 
public  as  well  as  to  himself,  if  he  had  not  ex- 
pressed his  dissatisfaction  at  their  former  address; 
after  which  the  Lord  Mayor  requested  leave  to 

of  his  father's  death  landed  at  Dover  from  his  travels,  but  could 
not  be  in  town  time  enough  to  receive  the  blessing  of  an  affec- 
tionate and  indulgent  parent. 

The  son  above  alluded  to  was  the  honourable  Frederick 
North,  afterwards  secretary  of  state  under  his  excellency  Sir 
Gilbert  Elliot,  viceroy  of  Corsica. 

Lord  North's  first  introduction  into  office  has  been  said  to  be 
the  result  of  back-stairs  influence,  but  most  probably  rather 
proceeded  from  early  friendship. 

*  We  have  seen  it  stated,  on  the  occasion  of  the  former 
political  changes,  that  a  conference  of  one  of  the  political 
parties  took  place  at  the  Marquis  of  Rockingham's  in  Grosve- 
nor-square,  at  which  it  was  arranged,  should  the  then  Oppo- 
sition succeed,  that  Lord  Chatham,  Lord  Temple,  and  the 
Marquis,  should  be  created  dukes,  and  hold  each  a  cabinet 
office  ;  that  Mr.  George  Grenville,  under  the  control  of  the 
three  new  dukes,  should  appear  as  ostensible  minister  at  the 
head  of  the  treasury;  and  to  render  such  administration  per- 
manent, that  all  those  who  called  thenselves  the  King's 
friends,  in  both  Houses,  should  be  turned,  and  for  ever  kept, 
out  of  office. 

The  result  of  this  procedure  was  soon  made  known  to  the 
King,  who  is  said  to  have  declared  with  a  dignified  resentment, 
that,  as  he  was  not  consulted  in  the  arrangement,  he  was  deter- 


1770.  HIS- COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  373 

reply,  which  being  granted,  his  lordship  made  an 
extempore  address,  which  has  been  represented 
as  differing  considerably  from  that  engraved  upon 
the  pedestal  in  the  civic  hall.*  No  answer  being 
returned  to  this  verbal  oration,  the  Corporation 
withdrew ;  and  the  birth  of  a  Princess  having 
occasioned  the  City  of  London  to  present  a  con- 
gratulatory address  about  a  week  afterwards,  the 
Lord   Chamberlain    acquainted  the  Lord  Mayor 

mined  to  prevent  it  taking  place;  and  that  the  insolence  of 
their  deliberations  in  private  had  fixed  him  in  the  resolution  of 
never  employing  them  in  the  public  councils  of  the  nation.  It 
is  impossible  absolutely  to  avouch  the  truth  of  this  statement; 
but  it  was  also  reported  that,  in  manifesting  his  indignation, 
the  King's  express  words  were,  "  Have  they  then  resolved 
to  invade  my  rights,  and  to  abuse  those  of  my  people!  I  am 
unhappy  at  their  folly — it  has  for  ever  excluded  them  from  my 
favour,  as  it  shall  from  the  service  of  a  country  which  they 
would  sacrifice  to  their  ambition.       While  I  will  have  my 

PEOPLE    FKEE,    I    WILL    BE     FREE    MYSELF \" 

*  We  have  heard  it  stated,  that  on  the  return  to  Guildhall, 
Beckford  and  the  Corporation  entered  the  council-chamber,  in 
great  alarm  and  most  evident  trepidation,  when  a  gentleman, 
high  in  the  confidence  of  the  Lord  Mayor,  earnestly  asked  him 
what  he  did  say  ? — to  which  Beckford  confusedly  replied, 
**  that  he  did  not  well  know,"  but  repeated  something  as  well 
as  he  could  recollect.  His  friend  then  drew  up  the  classic  re- 
monstrance now  engraven  on  the  pedestal,  and  which  was  most 
assiduously  echoed  and  re-echoed  in  all  the  journals  and  public 
prints,  apparently  rather  in  the  hope  of  softening  down  demo- 
cratic rudeness,  than  of  establishing  an  historical  document, 
which  it  has  now  become. 


374  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1770. 

that  as  his  lordship  had  thought  fit  to  speak  to 
his  Majesty  after  his  answer  to  the  late  remon- 
strance, he  was  directed  to  inform  him,  as  it  was 
unusual,  his  Majesty  desired  that  nothing  of  that 
kind  might  happen  for  the  future.  There  are  some 
curious  anecdotes  about  this  affair,  which  state 
that  on  the  30th  of  May  the  Lord  Mayor  and 
Corporation  set  out  for  St.  James's  with  a  com- 
plimentary address  on  the  Queen's  safe  delivery 
of  the  Princess  Elizabeth ;  and  only  the  chief 
magistrate  and  three  of  the  aldermen  had  passed 
through  Temple-bar,  when  the  mob  shut  the  gates 
against  Mr.  Alderman  Harley,  whom  they  not  only 
pelted  with  stones  and  dirt,  but  actually  pulled  him 
out  of  his  carriage,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that 
he  saved  his  life  by  escaping  into  the  Sun  Tavern. 

The  Lord  Mayor  rinding  his  train  thus  unex- 
pectedly shortened,  and  having  ascertained  the 
cause,  sent  back  the  city  marshal  to  open  the 
gate,  when  the  remainder  of  the  procession  passed 
through,  and  shortly  after  arrived  at  the  Palace. 
After  waiting  a  considerable  time  in  the  anti- 
chamber,  the  Lord  Chamberlain  came  out  and 
read  a  paper  to  the  following  purport :  "As  your 
lordship  thought  fit  to  speak  to  his  Majesty  after 
his  answer  to  the  late  remonstrance,  I  am  to  ac- 
quaint your  lordship,  as  it  was  unusual,  his  Ma- 
jesty desires  that  nothing  of  this  kind  may  happen 
for  the  future." 


HER  ROYAL  Hl&MI.s.s 


EM35ABETH  ,  1 )  V  ( '  H  E  §  §  of  HE  §  §E  H  D  M  I  i  E  K  B 


soiot  mat  22.1; 


1770.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  375 

The  Lord  Mayor  then  desired  that  the  paper 
might  be  handed  to  him  ;  but  the  Lord  Chamber- 
lain refused,  saying  that  he  acted  officially,  and 
had  it  not  in  orders  to  deliver  the  paper.  The 
Lord  Mayor  then  desired  a  copy,  to  which  the 
Chamberlain  answered,  that  he  would  acquaint 
his  Majesty,  and  take  his  directions,  but  did  not 
return  until  the  order  was  brought  for  the  whole 
court  to  attend  with  the  address. 

In  the  interim,  whilst  waiting  for  the  introduc- 
tion, a  curious  scene  ensued.  The  father  of  the 
city,  Sir  Robert  Ladbroke,  complained  to  the 
Mayor  that  stones  had  been  thrown  at  his  coach. 
Beckford  called  up  Gates,  the  city  marshal,  face 
to  face  with  the  venerable  alderman,  and  asked 
him  if  it  was  so.  The  marshal  denied  the  fact, 
when  Ladbroke  said,  that,  if  not  stones,  certainly 
dirt  had  been  thrown  ;•  but  this  Beckford  rebutted, 
with  the  assertion  that  there  was  no  dirt  in  the 
street  (happy  days  for  the  City  of  London) :  when 
Sir  Robert  qualified  his  complaint  by  observing, 
that  the  mob  spit  in  the  windows  of  his  carriage. 

On  arriving  in  the  presence-chamber,  Mr.  Rig- 
by  attacked  the  Lord  Mayor,  telling  him,  that  al- 
though he  had  promised  to  be  answerable  for  the 
peace  of  the  city,  yet  he  had  been  informed  by 
Sir  Robert  Ladbroke  that  there  had  been  a  great 
riot  in  the  city,  which  he,  Beckford,  had  taken 
no  pains  to  quell ;  eto  which  the  Mayor  replied 


376  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1770. 

that  he  should  be  ready  to  answer  for  his  conduct 
at  all  times,  in  all  places,  and  on  every  proper 
occasion. 

After  some  further  altercation,  Rigby  again  said 
that  the  city  magistrates  had  been  mobbed  ;  to 
which  Mr.  Sheriff  Townshend  replied,  that  taking 
the  whole  together,  in  his  opinion,  the  people  had 
been  mobbed  by  the  magistrates,  and  not  the 
magistrates  by  the  people. 

His  Majesty  soon  after  entered,  and  the  address 
was  presented  agreeable  to  the  usual  form ;  his 
Majesty  saying  in  his  answer  :  "  The  City  of 
London  entertaining  these  loyal  sentiments,  may 
be  always  assured  of  my  protection." 

Public  clamour  was  still  further  excited  by  the 
trial  of  Woodfall,  the  printer  of  Junius's  letter,  and 
his  acquittal  in  the  month  of  June  ;  about  which 
time  also  a  Spanish  squadron  took  forcible  pos- 
session of  our  settlement  at  the  Falkland  Islands. 

It  has  repeatedly  been  said  that  the  dispute 
which  took  place  this  year  between  England  and 
Spain  respecting  this  affair,  and  on  which  subject 
Dr.  Johnson  was  soon  after  employed  by  ministers 
to  write  a  political  pamphlet,  was  most  shamefully 
settled  by  concessions  on  our  part  which  ought 
never  to  have  been  acceded  to.  There  is  one  fact, 
however,  connected  with  that  affair  not  generally 
known ;  and  which,  as  has  been  surmised,  if  it  had 
been  then  known,  might  have  rendered  Johnson  less 


1770.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  377 

ready  to  take  up  the  pen  in  defence  of  the  peace- 
makers, considering  the  strong  attachment  which 
he  was  reported  to  have  felt  for  the  exiled  House 
of  Stuart.  It  is,  that  the  French  ministry  actually 
at  that  period  meditated  another  attempt  at  revo- 
lution in  this  country  in  favour  of  the  Pretender. 
To  the  accuracy  of  that  surmise,  however,  we 
cannot  subscribe;  as  Johnson's  sound  sense, 
whatever  were  his  prejudices  from  early  educa- 
tion, must  always  have  formed  a  safeguard  for  his 
practical  loyalty.  Soon  after,  the  pacification 
with  Spain  left  the  French  cabinet  without  hope 
of  success. 


SECTION  IV. 


1771—1780. 


Education  of  Royal  Offspring — Courtly  Anecdotes — 
Death  of  Princess  Dowager  —  American  War — Do- 
mestic Arrangements  —  Geography,  Literature,  Fine 
Arts,  fyc.  SjC.  S)T. 


The  strict  domestic  attention,  which  the  Royal 
pair  displayed  in  the  education  of  their  offspring, 
was  highly  deserving  the  imitation  of  every  class 
of  their  subjects.  It  was  customary  to  allow  them 
a  stated  sum  as  a  kind  of  privy  purse,  given  with- 
out any  express  directions  for  its  expenditure,  but 
subject  to  the  Queen's  inquiries  respecting  its  dis- 
posal, when  a  due  rebuke  was  given  if  the  case 
demanded,  or  praise  judiciously  bestowed  upon 
the  more  deserving  appropriations,  so  as  to  ope- 
rate as  a  future  lesson.  On  one  occasion  at  break- 
fast, whilst  the  King  was  reading  the  newspaper 
to  his  family,  one  of  the  youngest  branches  said, 
"  Mamma,  I  can't  think  what  a  prison  is."  Upon 
its  being  explained,  and  understanding  that  the  pri- 


1771.       HIS  COURT  AND  FAMILY.         379 

soners  were  then  often  half-starved  for  want,  the 
child  replied,  "  That  is  very  cruel,  for  the  prison  is 
bad  enough  without  starving;  but  I  will  give  all 
my  allowance  to  buy  bread  for  the  poor  prisoners !" 
Due  praise  was  given  for  this  benevolent  inten- 
tion, which  was  directed  to  be  put  in  force,  to- 
gether with  an  addition  from  the  royal  parents  ;  and 
many  a  heart  was  relieved  that  knew  not  its  bene- 
factors. 

The  Earl  of  Holdernesse  about  this  period  was 
preceptor  to  the  Prince  of  Wales;  his  sub-precep- 
tor, principally,  in  personal  charge  being  Mon- 
sieur de  Salzes,  the  intimate  friend  of  Dr.  Mac- 
laine,  chaplain  to  the  British  embassy  at  the 
Hague,  and  the  admired  translator  of  Mosheim's 
Ecclesiastical  History,  but  more  particularly  no- 
ticed at  that  period,  as  being  uncle  to  the  noted 
Maclaine,  the,  fashionable  highwayman,  the  Mac- 
heath  of  the  day,  whose  exit  at  Tyburn  was  re- 
ported to  have  filled  the  breasts  of  some,  even  of 
the  most  dashing,  belles  with  sorrow  and  despair. 

Lord  Holdernesse  and  De  Salzes  retired  from 
office  together;  and  Dr.  Markham,  already  on  the 
establishment,  became  preceptor. 

Those  changes  which  now  took  place  in  the  edu- 
cation of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  with  respect  to  his 
governors  and  preceptors,  have  been  said  first  to 
have  originated  with  the  Earl  of  Holdernesse,  a 
nobleman  of  great  digi  ity   of  deportment,  who, 


380  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1771. 

in  a  similar  manner  as  stated  in  regard  to 
the  education  of  the  Prince's  venerated  parent, 
observed  with  pain  that  a  secret  influence  existed 
which  he  considered  dangerous  because  dark,  and 
injurious  to  himself  as  invested  with  the  authority 
of  governor. 

What  this  secret  influence  was,  or  whence,  we 
know  not :  but  it  has  been  added  that  certain 
books  had  been  recommended  to  the  perusal  of 
his  Royal  Highness,  of  which  Lord  Holdernesse 
complained,  conceiving  that  they  inculcated  prin- 
ciples unfit  for  the  mind  of  a  British  prince;  and 
also  feeling  his  interest  diminished,  he  requested 
leave  to  resign,  which  was  accepted ;  Doctor 
Markham,  afterwards  advanced  to  the  see  of  York, 
remaining  in  office,  and  the  sub-governor,  Mr. 
Smelt,  retiring  on  a  pension.* 

Lord   Bruce  was  appointed  governor ;  but  his 

*  Of  this  gentleman,  the  venerable  Mrs.  Delany  says  in  a 
letter,  (1786.)  "  Their  Majesties  were  so  gracious  as  to  hint  a 
wish  of  my  spending  some  days  atKew,  when  they  were  there, 
and  to  make  it  completely  agreeable  and  commodious,  engaged 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smelt,  who  live  there,  to  invite  me  to  their  house, 
a  pleasure  of  itself,  that  would  have  given  me  wings  for  the 
undertaking. — I  think  you  can  hardly  be  a  stranger  to  the  cha- 
racter of  Mr.  Smelt,  a  man  that  has  the  honour  of  being  a 
friend  to  the  King,  and  testified  to  the  world  by  his  disinterested 
and  steady  behaviour,  how  worthy  he  is  of  such  a  distinction. 
His  character  is  that  of  the  most  noble  and  delicate  kind,  and 
deserves  the  pen  of  a  Clarendon  to  do  justice  to  it." 


1771.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILV.  381 

pupil,  even  then,  surpassing  him  in  classical  ac- 
quirements, especially  in  Greek,  the  story  of  some 
puzzle  upon  that  subject  got  wind,  and  became  so 
much  the  butt  of  courtly  satire,  that  his  lordship 
willingly  resigned,  and  received  the  earldom  of 
Aylesbury  as  a  compliment.  The  Duke  of  Mon- 
tague next  succeeded  to  the  superintendence  of 
the  Royal  education,  as  shall  be  hereafter  noticed. 

His  Majesty  had  now  two  great  objects  in  view ; 
to  act  right  himself,  and  to  shew  a  praiseworthy 
example  to  all  his  subjects:  and  in  regard  to  the 
latter  point,  he  set  himself  assiduously  to  work  in 
the  adoption  of  an  improved  system  of  agriculture, 
which  was  now  commenced  at  Richmoond  under 
his  own  personal  auspices,  by  turning  part  of  the 
old  park  into  a  dairy  and  grazing  farm,  whilst  a 
portion  was  set  apart  for  arable  purposes. 

In  those  occupations  he  took  great  delight,  and 
spent  many  quiet  hours,  whilst  a  set  of  clamorous 
politicians,  or  rather  partizans,  were  loading  him 
with  charges  of  tyranny,  and  holding  him  up  to 
public  detestation  as  a  Nero!  But  he  calmly 
heard  their  rancour,  and  smiled  at  his  new  appel- 
lation of  "  Farmer  George/'  disdaining  not  to  act 
the  real  farmer,  and  to  send  the  produce  of  his 
grounds  to  market  as  the  best  criterion  of  his 
system :  a  system  which  was  soon  followed  up  by 
the  Duke  of  Bedford,  Mr.  Coke,  and  other  dis- 
tinguished agriculturists. 


382  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1771. 

The  delicacy  shewn  by  His  Majesty  in  making 
improvements,  in  regard  not  only  to  the  rights,  but 
even  to  the  comfort  of  others,  was  strongly  evinced 
in  1771,  in  his  conduct  towards  a  poor  old  servant 
of  the  royal  household,  a  Mr.  Drury,  keeper  of  the 
duck  pond  in  St.  James's  park,  who  was  very 
uneasy  from  the  apprehension  of  his  house  being 
to  be  pulled  down  in  consequence  of  the  altera- 
tions and  improvements  then  taking  place.  But 
His  Majesty  no  sooner  heard  of  this,  than  he  issued 
immediate  orders,  that  the  poor  old  mans  house 
should  remain  as  an  asylum  for  him  during  life. 

The  King  was  so  satisfied  with  the  conduct  of 
Dr.  Markham,  that  in  February  1771  he  presented 
the  preceptor  with  the  bishopric  of  Chester,  but 
still  retained  him  in  his  office,  assisted  by  Dr. 
CyrilJackson  as  sub-preceptor.  The  Royal  choice 
could  not  indeed  have  fallen  upon  a  fitter  person 
than  Dr.  Markham,  as  he  was  remarkable  for 
mildness  of  temper,  and  excelled  in  his  mode  of 
conveying  knowledge  and  of  exciting  youth  to 
laudable  pursuits.  While  storing  the  young  mind 
with  good  principles  and  eradicating  bad  ones, 
his  system  was  to  point  out  the  happiness  of 
virtue  and  expose  the  misery  of  vice,  and  this 
he  never  lost  sight  of  even  in  the  closest  applica- 
tion to  the  classics.  In  short,  his  knowledge  in 
Greek  and  Roman  literature  was  universal,  and 
his  taste  pure  ;  added  to  which  it  was  a  most  im- 


1771.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  383 

portant  feature  in  his  character  that  he  had  never 
permitted  classical  studies,  as  is  too  often  the  case, 
to  interfere  unnecessarily  with  the  acquisition  of 
general  information :  and  in  topographical  accu- 
racy he  was  unrivalled.  With  all  the  confidence 
which  the  King  placed  in  this  amiable  man,  he 
did  not  neglect  the  personal  superintendence  of 
his  boys,  even  in  the  existing  warfare  of  political 
party,  now  at  such  a  height  that  when  he  went 
to  meet  the  Parliament  on  the  30th  of  March,  to 
give  the  Royal  assent  to  numerous  bills,  it  was 
expected  that  some  popular  commotion  would 
take  place ;  and  accordingly  the  high  constable  of 
Westminster  with  several  peace  officers  kept  close 
to  the  state  carriage.  There  was  an  immense  con- 
course assembled,  who  made  the  most  horrid 
noise,  and  threw  out  many  insulting  expressions, 
so  that  not  only  were  the  horse  guards  obliged  to 
cover  the  coach,  but  the  constables  were  also 
forced  to  use  their  staves  to  keep  off  the  infuri- 
ated mob.  In  the  midst  of  this  confusion  his  Ma- 
jesty sat  calm  and  dignified,  and  merely  expressed 
his  sorrow  for  the  misguided  people. 

In  the  course  of  the  spring  the  King  so  far  broke 
in  upon  his  regular  plan  of  immediate  personal 
superintendence  over  the  Prince  of  Wales,  who 
was  then  nine  years  of  age,  that  he  established  a 
separate  household  for  him  at  the  Queen's  Palace, 


384  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1771. 

where  a  Royal  Chaplain  was  appointed  to  reside 
for  the  purpose  of  reading  prayers  every  day. 

For  an  office  so  desirable  there  were  several 
candidates,  amongst  whom  was  the  unfortunate 
Dr.  Dodd ;  but  though  backed  by  the  warmest 
influence  of  Lord  Chesterfield,  he  was  unsuccess- 
ful, principally,  as  is  believed,  through  the  positive 
disapprobation  of  the  King  himself,  arising  from 
his  private  judgment  of  Dodd's  character. 

Several  whimsical  things  are  recorded  of  the 
birth-day  this  year,  which  was  stated  to  be  the 
most  numerous  and  brilliant,  that  had  taken  place 
for  many  years.  Amongst  the  ladies  present  was 
the  venerable  Duchess  of  Queensberry,  the  patro- 
ness of  the  celebrated  Gay.  It  was  observed  that 
Lord  North,  though  prime  minister,  was  the  best 
dressed  gentleman  present ;  and  it  was  thought 
not  a  little  remarkable,  that  Mr.  Fox,  though  the 
fashion  had  been  exploded  for  half  a  century,  ap- 
peared with  red  heels  to  his  shoes. 

On  the  5th  of  June  the  present  Duke  of  Cum- 
berland was  born,  about  which  period  the  late 
Duke  of  that  title  was  married,  very  much  to  the 
King's  displeasure.  In  fact  the  marriages  of  the 
two  royal  brothers,  which  had  taken  place  during 
the  summer  of  1771,  induced  his  Majesty  soon 
after  to  send  messages  to  both  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment, in  which  he  observed,  "  that  being  desir- 
ous, from  paternal  affection  to  his  own  family,  and 


His   Royal   Highness 
[nest    Augustus 

I  >UKE    of    ('  D  M  B  E  i'  !,.\N  h 
Born    Ifb      6  :     77  I  . 


1771.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  385 

anxious  concern  for  the  future  welfare  of  his  peo- 
ple, and  the  honour  and  dignity  of  his  crown,  that 
the  right  of  approving-  all  marriages  in  the  Royal 
Family  might  be  made  effectual,"  he  recommend- 
ed to  the  legislature  to  supply  the  defects  of  the 
then  existing  laws ;  and  a  bill  was  brought  in,  such 
as  is  now  on  the  statute-books,  and  finally  passed, 
after  considerable  opposition  :  as  shall  be  more 
fully  explained  in  the  ensuing  year. 

An  installation  of  the  Garter  having  taken  place 
at  Windsor  on  the  25th  of  July,  a  whimsical  cir- 
cumstance occurred,  which  excited  considerable 
surprise :  this  was  the  appearance  of  Wilkes  and 
his  daughter,  seated  in  the  castle-yard,  for  which 
purpose  they  had  obtained  tickets  from  Lord  Tan- 
kerville*.    It  was  supposed  to  have  some  reference 

*  To  the  general  character  of  our  late  Sovereign,  the  love  of 
his  people  best  will  speak;  and  few  monarchs  have  more  pos- 
sessed the  personal  affection  of  their  subjects.  Against  Mr. 
Wilkes,  however,  considerable  displeasure  is  said  to  have  been 
entertained  even  at  this  period.  So  ungrateful  was  the  sound  of 
"  Wilkes  and  No.  45"  (the  famous  number  of  the  "  North  Bri- 
ton/') deemed  to  be  to  the  high  personage  who  is  now  spoken 
of,  that  about  1772,  a  Prince  of  the  blood  (George  IV.)  then  a 
mere  boy,  having  been  chid  for  some  boyish  fault,  and  wishing 
to  take  his  boyish  revenge,  is  related  to  have  done  so  by  steal- 
ing to  the  King's  apartment,  and  shouting  at  the  door,  "Wilkes 
and  No.  45  for  ever  !  "  and  speedily  running  away.  It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  add,  (for  who  knows  not  the  domestic  amiableness 
of  George  III.  ?)  that  his  Majesty  laughed  at  the  trick  with  his 
accustomed  good  humour. — (Life  of  Wilkes.) 
VOL.    I.  C    C 


38G  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1771. 

to  politics ;  but  probably  arose  solely  from  curio- 
sity. 

The  late  Duke  of  Gloucester  during  this  year 
went  to  the  Mediterranean,  on  board  the  Venus 
frigate,  for  his  health :  and,  whilst  at  Genoa, 
chance  placed  him  at  an  hotel  directly  opposite 
to  the  apartments  occupied  by  the  Pretender, 
who  always  moved  his  hat  whenever  he  passed 
his  royal  cousin.  This  compliment  was  always 
returned  by  the  duke,  but,  as  was  said,  rather 
coolly,  evidently  from  prudential  and  political 
motives ;  but  his  Royal  Highness  expressed  much 
concern  for  the  unhappy  situation  of  that  unfortu- 
nate personage,  who  was  then  in  extreme  poverty, 
walking  without  attendants,  very  shabby  in  ap- 
pearance, always  dressed  in  an  old  threadbare 
frock,  and  wearing  in  his  countenance  evident 
marks  of  personal  distress.  At  that  period  the 
Pope  had  withdrawn  from  him  the  scanty  pittance 
formerly  allowed ;  and  the  whole  affair  had  such 
an  effect  upon  the  duke,  that  he  publicly  declared 
how  much  he  pitied  him,  forgetting  his  attempts 
to  dethrone  the  Brunswick  family;  and  indeed 
expressed  himself  so  much  in  his  favour,  and  in 
pity  of  his  forlorn  situation,  that  there  is  reason  to 
believe  his  representations  to  the  King  himself 
were  soon  followed  by  liberal  but  secret  acts  of 
generous  munificence. 

Johnson,  as  already  noticed,  having  published 


1771.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  387 

his  tract  on  Falkland's  Islands,  it  has  been  stated 
on  good  authority  that  Lord  North  personally 
waited  on  him  with  a  message  for  his  Majesty,  to 
know  what  compliment  he  should  pay  him.  The 
doctor  paused  for  some  time,  and  at  length  re- 
plied, "  I  am  too  old  and  lazy  for  office,  my 
lord." — "  It  is  your  convenience,  doctor,"  re- 
turned his  lordship,  "  that  we  would  consult." — 
"  Then  make  my  three  hundred  a-year  five,  and 
you  may  keep  the  keys  of  the  treasury."  The 
Scots  Magazine  of  that  year  asserts  that  he  had 
his  wish,  and  that  the  appointment  was  made  out 
in  the  following  week ;  but  this  is  not  in  unison 
with  his  established  biography. 

In  the  autumn  of  this  year  Captain  Cook  re- 
turned from  his  first  voyage  round  the  world  ; 
and  on  the  23d  of  October,  Sir  Joseph  (then  Mr.) 
Banks,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Solander,  had  the 
honour  of  an  interview  with  his  Majesty  at  Rich- 
mond, to  present  a  "  coronet  of  gold,"  set  round 
with  feathers,  which  had  been  received,  as  the 
public  prints  stated,  from  some  chief  at  one  of 
the  new  discovered  islands.  In  this,  however, 
there  must  have  been  some  mistake,  at  least  as 
far  as  regards  the  metal  of  which  the  coronet  was 
made,  no  gold  having  been  met  with  in  the  course 
of  that  voyage. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  the  right  of  courtesy,  if 
so  it  may  be  called,  for  printing  the  parliamen- 

c  c  2 


388  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1771. 

tary  debates  was  first  established  by  a  kind  of 
tacit  permission,  arising  from  the  well-known 
contest  of  the  House  of  Commons  with  the  Lord 
Mayor,  and  Aldermen  Wilkes  and  Oliver.  The 
recommendation  of  the  Committee  of  Privileges 
to  the  House,  to  take  Miller  the  printer  of  the 
London  Evening  Post  into  custody,  not  being 
acted  upon,  the  speeches  and  names,  instead  of 
the  spurious  mode  formerly  adopted,  were  after- 
wards given,  without  any  interference  on  the  part 
of  either  house  of  parliament,  except  in  very  par- 
ticular instances,  when  the  question  of  privilege 
is  re-asserted  and  enforced,  leaving  it  rather  as  a 
common  usage  than  as  a  common  right. 

This  year  the  King  made  some  considerable  al- 
terations respecting  the  Poor  Knights  of  Windsor, 
who,  for  some  years  previous,  had  been  in  the 
practice  of  living  at  their  own  houses,  or  where- 
ever  it  suited  their  convenience,  but  in  direct  op- 
position to  the  statutes  of  the  foundation. 

This  his  Majesty  thought  expedient  to  regulate; 
and,  accordingly,directions  were  issued  that  they 
should  all  occupy  the  apartments  appropriated  to 
them  in  Windsor  Castle,  and  should  also  go  to 
church  twice  a  day  in  their  military  cloaks,  in 
obedience  to  the  statute  of  the  founder  Ed- 
ward III. 


1772.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  389 

1772. 
It  was  on  the  17th  January,  1772,  that  the 
wicked  revolution  took  place  in  Denmark,  by 
which  the  King  became  the  prisoner  of  his  step- 
mother, and  the  unhappy  Queen  Caroline  Matilda 
was  accused  of  the  most  flagitious  crimes  and  im- 
mured in  a  dungeon,  until  the  remonstrances  of 
the  British  ambassador,  Sir  Robert  Keith,  pro- 
cured her  better  treatment.  To  detail  all  those 
events  is  far  beyond  our  limits — it  is  sufficient  to 
record,  that  when  her  extraordinary  trial  took 
place,  all  the  evidence  against  her  Majesty,  all 
her  supposed  crimes  against  the  state  and  the 
King,  notwithstanding  the  vile  assertions  of 
suborned  witnesses,  were  found  to  be  destitute  of 
judicial  proofs,  solely  and  perfidiously  intended 
to  deprive  her  of  her  titles  and  the  prerogatives  of 
her  rank,  and  to  bastardize,  if  possible,  her  issue, 
for  the  sake  of  placing  Prince  Frederick  upon  the 
throne  of  Denmark.  In  fact,  her  trial  was  a  tis- 
sue of  contradictions ;  she  was  declared  at  once 
innocent  and  guilty.  The  King,  who  was  chiefly 
interested  in  this  iniquitous  prosecution,  so  far 
from  accusing  her  of  infidelity  and  other  crimes 
still  more  atrocious,  declared  more  than  once,  that 
she  was  worthy  of  a  husband  more  disposed  than 
himself  to  do  justice  to  her  charms  and  her  vir- 
tues. Soon  after  this,  Sir  Robert  Keith  received 
his  letters  of  recall ;  and  the  remonstrances   of 


390  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1772. 

England,  which  became  serious,  as  appeared  by 
a  naval  armament,  constrained  the  regency  of 
Denmark  to  consent  to  deliver  up  the  young 
queen  to  this  minister,  who  was  appointed  to  ac- 
company her  into  the  electorate  of  Hanover,  as 
the  castle  of  Zell  had  been  allotted  by  her  royal 
brother  for  her  residence. 

The  demise  of  the  Princess  Dowager  of  Wales 
took  place  between  five  and  six  on  the  morning 
of  the  8th  of  February.  On  the  preceding  night 
the  physician  felt  her  pulse,  and  told  her  it  was 
more  regular  than  it  had  been  for  some  time  ;  to 
which  she  replied,  "  Yes ;  and  I  think  I  shall 
have  a  good  night's  rest !" 

His  Majesty  was  then  in  attendance,  when  his 
affectionate  mother  embraced  him,  but,  as  he 
observed  on  leaving  her,  with  greater  warmth  and 
affection  than  usual.  On  his  noticing  this  to  the 
physician,  that  gentleman  ventured  to  inform  him, 
that  his  parent,  notwithstanding  her  own  hopes, 
was  then  so  far  gone  that  he  could  not  expect  her 
to  live  beyond  the  morning.  The  King  then  de- 
termined to  remain,  and  wait  the  event ;  but  did 
not  see  her  again  until  after  her  death,  for  she  lay 
very  quiet  during  the  night  until  a  few  minutes 
before  she  departed,  when  she  laid  her  hand  upon 
her  heart,  and  went  off  without  a  groan.  This 
affectionate  son  was  no  sooner  informed  of  the 
event,    than   he   rushed   into  the    apartment  of 


1772.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  391 

death,  caught  the  cold  hand,  kissed  it,  and  burst 
into  tears. 

He  soon  after  retired  to  St.  James's,  but,  did 
not  quit  Carlton-house  without  comforting  all  her 
attendants  with  the  assurance,  that  their  usual 
salaries  should  be  paid  until  he  could  find  other 
means  of  providing  for  them  in  the  royal  house- 
hold. 

Much  as  calumny  detracted  from  the  character 
of  this  Princess,  we  cannot  refuse  our  belief 
of  a  description  sketched  by  one  who  had  long 
been  intimate  with  her  Royal  Highness,  and  who 
has  never  yet  been  accused  of  flattery. 

Bishop  Newton  long  filled  the  office  of  her 
chaplain,  and  even  after  his  promotion  she  some- 
times honoured  him  with  private  audiences  at 
Carlton-house ;  indeed  after  she  had  declined  see- 
ing company  on  her  birth-day,  she  still  admitted 
that  worthy  prelate  to  pay  his  duty  to  her,  upon 
which  occasions  the  discourse  was  always  far 
from  being  stiff  or  formal,  the  Princess  con- 
versing with  him  in  the  most  easy  and  condescend- 
ing manner. 

The  good  bishop  therefore  says  that  he  could 
not  help  grieving  for  his  own  personal  as  well  as 
the  national  loss ;  for  a  national  loss  it  surely  was, 
notwithstanding  all  that  party  rage  or  malice 
could  suggest  to  the  contrary.  He  adds,  that  she 
was,  indeed,  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  flue- 


392  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1772. 

tuation  and  uncertainty  of  popular  favour  ;  for 
from  her  first  coming  over  to  this  country,  her 
behaviour  was  so  discreet  and  prudent,  so  cour- 
teous and  affable,  that  she  gained  the  love  and 
esteem  of  the  whole  nation,  and  no  Princess  was 
ever  more  admired  and  applauded  than  she  was 
until  some  time  after  the  death  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales.  But  the  conduct  of  George  II.  to  her 
upon  that  occasion  was  such,  that  she  could  not 
with  decency  support  and  encourage  the  faction 
that  was  formed  against  the  court ;  and  hence  it 
proceeded  that  the  tide  of  popularity  which  rose 
so  strong  and  so  high  in  her  favour,  first  began  to 
turn  against  her. 

Upon  her  son's  accession  to  the  throne,  when 
her  influence  was  believed  to  be  greater,  the 
clamours  of  faction  increased  in  proportion  ;  espe- 
cially as  Wilkes  laid  to  her  charge,  in  the  North 
Briton,  things  of  which  she  was  entirely  inno- 
cent ;  and  one  day  being  asked  how  he  could  as- 
sert such  a  particular  which  he  knew  was  not  true, 
"  No  matter  for  that,"  replied  he,  "  it  will  do 
very  well  for  a  North  Briton  ;  the  people  will 
swallow  any  thing." 

She  would  often  ask  in  the  morning,  "  Well, 
what  have  the  papers  said  of  me?"  and  would 
read  them  and  laugh  over  them.  For  never  was 
more  vile  abuse  with  less  foundation ;  and  it  is  to 
be  hoped  she  regarded  it  as  little  as  she  deserved 


1772.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  393 

it.  Her  good  deeds  were  more  silent  and  unknown, 
for  never  was  any  one  actuated  with  a  truer  spirit 
of  benevolence  and  charity.  The  sums  which  she 
gave  away  in  private  benefactions  and  pensions, 
amounted  to  no  less  than  10,000/.  a  year ;  and  the 
merit  of  her  charities  was  greatly  enhanced  by 
their  secrecy.  Several  families  who  were  relieved 
by  her  did  not  so  much  as  know  who  was  their 
benefactor  till  her  death,  when  the  current  of 
bounty  ceased  to  flow.  Amongst  other  benevo- 
lent acts  of  the  Princess  Dowager,  we  must  not 
omit  that  in  1771  she  took  a  house  on  Kew  Green 
for  the  sole  use  of  her  old  and  infirm  servants, 
where  they  were  supported  comfortably  on  her 
bounty.  The  calmness  and  composure  of  her 
death  were  farther  proofs  and  attestations  of  the 
goodness  of  her  life ;  and  she  died,  as  she  had 
lived,  beloved  and  honoured  most  by  those  who 
knew  her  best. 

Even  when  the  malignity  of  faction  and  party 
presumed  most  violently  to  attack  the  character 
of  this  Princess,  on  one  occasion,  in  the  midst  of 
its  loudest  clamours,  and  whilst  popular  outrage 
threatened  the  palace  and  the  person  of  her  Royal 
Highness,  she  coolly  examined  the  specimens  of 
some  curious  Birmingham  ware,  exhibited  to  her 
by  an  eminent  manufacturer  of  that  place :  and 
even  when  the  horrid  yells  in  the  court-yard  of 
Carlton-house  nearly  prevented  her  voice  being 


394  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1772. 

heard,  she  merely  said,  "  How  I  pity  these  poor 
deluded  people.  I  hope  they  will  know  better 
by  and  by." 

The  learned  and  amiable  Smalridge,  who  died 
Bishop  of  Bristol  and  Dean  of  Christchurch,  left 
his  family  in  very  embarrassed  circumstances ;  on 
hearing  which,  the  Princess  of  Wales,  of  her  own 
accord,  solicited  and  obtained  a  pension  of  300/. 
a-year  for  the  widow  ;  and  afterwards  procured  a 
prebend  of  Worcester  for  the  eldest  son.  In  con- 
sideration of  this  munificence,  the  bishop's  ser- 
mons were  inscribed  to  her  Royal  Highness,  with 
a  very  grateful  acknowledgment  of  the  many  and 
great  obligations  which  the  author's  family  had 
received  from  her  goodness. 

On  the  20th  of  Feb.  the  message  was  presented, 
as  already  noticed,  to  both  Houses,  respecting 
the  Royal  marriage  bill,  stating  that  his  Majesty 
being  desirous,  from  paternal  affection  to  his  own 
family,  and  anxious  concern  for  the  future  welfare 
of  his  people,  and  the  honour  and  dignity  of  his 
crown,  that  the  right  of  approving  all  marriages 
in  the  Royal  Family,  which  ever  had  belonged  to 
the  kings  of  this  realm  as  a  matter  of  public  con- 
cern, might  be  made  effectual,  he  recommended 
to  the  legislature  to  take  into  serious  considera- 
tion, whether  it  might  not  be  wise  and  expedient 
to  supply  the  defects  of  the  laws  then  in  being, 
and  by  some  new  provision  more  effectually  to 


1772.  HIS    CpURT,    AND    FAMILY.  395 

guard  the  descendants  of  George  II.  (other  than 
the  issue  of  princesses  who  had  married  or  might 
hereafter  marry  into  foreign  families)  from  marry- 
ing without  the  approbation  of  his  Majesty,  his 
heirs  and  successors. 

Inconsequence  a  bill  was  brought  in  and  passed, 
after  the  most  unprecedented  opposition  in  every 
stage,  which  declared  all  such  marriages,  without 
the  Royal  consent  under  the  great  seal,  to  be  null 
and  void  ;  but  allowing  the  Royal  issue,  after  25 
years  of  age,  to  give  notice  to  privy  council  of 
their  intention  of  marrying,  after  which,  if  within 
the  space  of  twelve  months  no  declaration  of  par- 
liamentary disapprobation  should  take  place,  such 
persons  should  then  be  at  liberty  to  enter  into 
matrimonial  engagements,  even  without  the  Royal 
consent. 

To  enumerate  all  the  grounds  of  opposition  to 
this  bill  is  needless  ;  suffice  it  to  say  that  its  ten- 
dency, to  prevent  the  different  branches  of  the 
Royal  Family  from  intermarrying  with  subjects, 
was  expedient  for  the  prevention  either  of  family 
feuds  or  of  the  questions  of  contested  succession 
which  had  once  deluged  this  fair  country  with  its 
noblest  blood. 

In  reference  to  this  it  may  be  recorded  that  it 
was  expressly  stated  in  the  month  of  April  that  a 
celebrated  club,  "  not  an  hundred  miles  from  Pall 
Mall/'  who  on  the  close  of  the  rebellion  supplied 


396  GEORGE    THE   THIRD,  1772. 

the  Young  Pretender,  for  some  years,  with  an 
annuity  of  5000/.  but  who  afterwards  stopped  it 
on  account  of  his  dissipated  course  of  life,  ac- 
tually renewed  that  grant  on  being  informed  by 
him  of  his  intended  marriage,  and  his  resolution 
to  practise  a  more  becoming  economy.  He  soon 
afterwards  married  the  Princess  of  Stolberg. 

It  is  also  a  curious  coincidence  that  a  young 
gentleman  at  this  period  lived  in  Hereford,  so 
extremely  like  the  King,  that  an  officer  of  the 
guards  who  happened  to  see  him,  could  scarcely 
believe  him  to  be  any  other  than  his  Majesty 
in  disguise. 

On  the  25th  of  May  the  Duke  of  Gloucester 
arrived  from  Italy,  where  he  had  been  treated 
with  great  attention  by  the  Pope,  who  presented 
him  with  several  capital  paintings,  curious  en- 
gravings, and  some  very  fine  specimens  of  sculp- 
ture ;  with  which  the  King  was  so  much  gratified, 
that  he  sent  a  special  charge  to  Prince  Paul  Borg- 
hese  to  repair  to  the  audience  of  his  Holiness  and 
thank  him,  in  his  name,  for  his  politeness  and 
civility. — A  whimsical  circumstance  took  place 
during  the  Duke's  stay  in  Rome — his  carriage 
having  entered  by  accident  at  the  end  of  one  of 
the  principal  streets  at  the  moment  when  the 
Pope  was  entering  at  the  other.  The  winter  in 
Italy,  like  that  in  many  of  the  warmer  countries, 
though  short,  is  often  damp  and  disagreeable,  and 


1772.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  397 

it  happened  that  this  day  was  very  much  like  one 
of  our  English  November,  which,  added  to  the 
filth  of  that  capital,  made  the  streets  overflow 
with  mud,  whilst  some  hundreds  of  the  popu- 
lace had  already  fallen  on  their  knees  to  receive 
the  benediction  of  their  papal  sovereign.  When 
the  carriages  approached  where  there  was  some 
difficulty  for  two  to  pass,  there  was  a  sudden 
pause ;  and  neither  the  Pope  nor  the  Duke 
would  avail  themselves  first  of  the  precedence. 
Many  ceremonious  messages  now  took  place, 
whilst  the  expectant  populace  silently  waited  for 
the  blessing,  but  each  party  was  firm  in  polite- 
ness, until  the  holy  father  thought  of  the  expe- 
dient of  sending  a  message  to  say,  that  if  his 
Royal  Highness  did  not  take  the  lead,  he  would 
be  forced  to  return  home.  The  royal  carriage  then 
moved  on,  and  the  blessing  was  given  to  all — his 
Royal  Highness  perhaps  excepted. 

His  Majesty's  extreme  regard  for  public  and 
private  decorum  was  exemplified  at  this  period, 
by  a  letter  handed  about  in  MS.  in  August,  and 
said  to  have  actually  been  addressed  to  a  hioh 
ecclesiastical  character.  It  was  to  the  followino- 
purport. — 

"  My  good  Lord  P e. 

"  I  could  not  delay  giving  you  the  notification 
of  the  grief  and  concern  with  which  my  breast 


398  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1772. 

was  affected,  at  receiving  an  authentic  informa- 
tion that  routs  have  made  their  way  into  your  pa- 
lace. At  the  same  time  I  must  signify  to  you  my 
sentiments  on  this  subject,  which  hold  these  levi- 
ties and  vain  dissipations  as  utterly  inexpedient, 
if  not  unlawful,  to  pass  in  a  residence  for  many 
centuries  devoted  to  divine  studies,  religious  re- 
tirement, and  the  extensive  exercise  of  charity 
and  benevolence — I  add,  in  a  place  where  so 
many  of  your  predecessors  have  led  their  lives 
in  such  sanctity,  as  has  thrown  lustre  upon  the 
pure  religion  they  professed  and  adorned. 

"  From  the  dissatisfaction  with  which  you  must 
perceive  I  behold  these  improprieties,  not  to  speak 
in  harsher  terms,  and  still  more  pious  principles, 
I  trust  you  will  suppress  them  immediately ;  so 
that  I  may  not  have  occasion  to  shew  any  further 
marks  of  my  displeasure,  or  to  interpose  in  a  dif- 
ferent manner.  May  God  take  your  Grace  into 
his  almighty  protection ! 

"  I  remain,  my  Lord  P e, 

"  Your  gracious  friend, 

"  G.  R." 

His  Majesty's  domestic  conduct  at  this  period 
was  a  salutary  example  to  his  court,  and  indeed 
to  all  his  subjects.  He  took  even  laborious  pains 
with  the  cultivation  of  the  minds  of  his  children, 
always  expressing  his  conviction  of  the  necessity 


1772.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  399 

of  bending  the  twig  whilst  young;  and  all  the 
leisure,  which  he  could  spare  from  affairs  of  state 
and  necessary  exercise,  was  occupied  in  giving 
such  instructions  to  his  progeny  as  their  infant 
minds  were  capable  of  receiving,  often  observing 
to  those  in  his  confidence,  "  That  it  is  chiefly 
owing  to  the  parents,  if  the  children  are  devoid  of 
proper  principles." 

The  King's  affection  for  his  children  was  pecu- 
liarly tender,  and  was  strikingly  exemplified  in 
the  anxious  solicitude  of  his  enquiries  after  them 
when  indisposed.  It  is  well  known,  that  he 
would  go  to  the  lower  lodge  himself,  at  the  early 
hour  of  five  in  the  morning,  and,  gently  tapping  at 
the  door  of  their  apartments,  would  enquire  how 
they  had  passed  the  night. 

His  own  course  of  life  was  carried  to  the  utmost 
precision  of  regularity,  rising  usually  between  six 
and  seven,  and  retiring  to  his  devotions  in  a  private 
apartment,  where  he  passed  an  hour  previous  to 
breakfast.  He  then  dressed,  and  attended  to 
whatever  public  business  might  be  before  him ; 
after  which  his  children  were  brought  to  him  for 
examination  and  instruction,  when  he  dismissed 
them  to  the  guidance  of  the  Queen,  who  always 
passed  her  forenoons  in  the  society  of  her  little 
ones,  and  whilst  they  prosecuted  their  several 
tasks,  she  amused  herself  with  drawing,  or  else  in 
the  most  curious  needle-work,  in  which  she  was  a 


400  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1772. 

great  proficient.  The  remainder  of  the  time  up  to 
dinner  the  King  passed  in  his  study,  when  not  on 
horseback,  where  he  was  generally  occupied  in 
the  prosecution  or  examination  of  some  useful  dis- 
covery, or  in  conversing  with  men  of  literature 
and  science. 

At  table  he  was  extremely  temperate,  seldom 
indulging  in  more  than  four  glasses  of  wine;  after 
which,  if  no  affairs  of  state  engaged  his  attention, 
he  passed  the  afternoon  in  reading  some  favourite 
author  to  her  Majesty,  who  even  then  had  dis- 
played a  critical  knowledge  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, by  the  great  attachment  which  she  had 
formed  for  the  best  plays  of  the  Poet  of  the  Avon. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  King  at  that  time, 
however  hurried  his  colloquial  accent,  read  ex- 
tremely well,  not  only  in  private,  but  also  in  the 
delivery  of  his  public  speeches. 

At  supper  he  never  went  beyond  a  glass  of  wine 
and  water :  after  which  meal  the  happy  pair 
joined  in  private  devotion  and  gratitude  to  God 
for  their  mutual  blessings,  sometimes  reading 
a  portion  of  some  well-written  religious  tract, 
and  retiring  at  an  early  hour,  even  whilst  fashion- 
able dissipation  had  scarcely  begun  her  noctur- 
nal orgies. 

The  day  thus  spent  in  social  comforts,  each 
rising  morn  presented  them  with  the  high-fla- 
voured joys  of  heart-felt  delight,  enjoying  in  them- 


1772.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  401 

selves  all  the  happiness  of  wedded  and  parental 
love,  and  exhibiting  its  superiority  over  more 
"worldly  pleasures. 

It  had  long  been  a  question  which  had  engaged 
the  attention,  not  only  of  learned  men,  but  of 
most  of  the  maritime  powers  of  Europe,  whether 
the  unexplored  part  of  the  southern  hemisphere 
were  only  an  immense  mass  of  water,  or  contained 
another  continent,  as  was  suggested  to  be  not 
only  possible  but  probable,  by  all  the  specula- 
tive geographers  of  the  time. 

To  put  an  end  to  the  difference  of  opinion  upon 
this  very  important  subject,  had  long  been  a  point 
of  ardent  desire  in  the  breast  of  the  King,  as  well 
as  with  the  Royal  Society ;  and  accordingly,  at 
his  Majesty's  express  recommendation,  a  voyage 
was  undertaken  for  the  final  investigation  of  the 
subject.  Very  soon  after  the  return  of  the  enter- 
prising Cook  from  his  first  voyage  in  the  Endea- 
vour, it  was  determined  to  equip  two  ships,  in 
order  to  complete  the  discoveries  then  so  happily 
begun  in  the  southern  hemisphere ;  and  Cook, 
now  raised  to  the  rank  of  master  and  commander, 
was  appointed  the  senior  officer  of  the  expedi- 
tion. How  well  he  performed  the  duty  entrusted 
to  him,  is  too  well  known  to  require  illustration 
here. 

VOL.  I.  D  D 


402  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1773. 

1773. 

It  has  been  confidently  stated,  that  it  was  the 
King's  intention  at  this  period  to  institute  a  new 
order  of  knighthood,  to  be  called  the  Order  of 
Minerva,  for  the  encouragement  of  literature,  the 
fine  arts,  and  learned  professions.  The  order  was 
intended  to  consist  of  twenty-four  knights  and 
the  Sovereign,  and  to  be  next  in  dignity  to  the 
military  order  of  the  Bath.  The  knights  were  to 
wear  a  silver  star  of  nine  points,  and  a  straw-co- 
loured ribbon  from  the  right  shoulder  to  the  left. 
A  figure  of  Minerva  was  to  have  been  embroi- 
dered  in  the  centre  of  the  star,  with  the  motto, 
"  Omnia posthabita  Scient'ice." 

So  certain  were  the  literati  of  the  measure 
being  adopted,  that  some  altercation  actually  took 
place  amongst  the  self-elected  candidates  for  the 
new  honours  ;  and  it  is  extremely  probable  that 
the  only  cause  of  its  failure  was  the  King's  appre- 
hension that  the  numerous  jealousies  which  would 
arise,  even  from  the  fairest  selection  of  talent  and 
ability,  would  render  its  institution  an  evil  rather 
than  a  benefit,  especially  at  a  moment  when  party 
measures  ran  so  very  high  upon  political  subjects. 

A  circumstance  took  place  early  this  year  which 
deserves  notice,  as  strongly  marking  the  spirit  of 
the  times.  The  Lord  Mayor  gave  notice  to  his 
household,  that  he  should  not  go  to  St.  Paul's 
cathedral  on  the  day  of  the  martyrdom  of  King 


1773.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.        403 

Charles  I.  and  therefore  their  attendance  would 
not  be  necessary.  This,  however,  did  not  escape 
unnoticed.  The  public  prints  took  it  up,  and 
some  very  severe  strictures  were  passed  upon  his 
conduct. 

On  the  27th  of  January  the  Duke  of  Sussex  was 
born.  Notwithstanding  the  political  bustle  of 
those  times,  yet  the  loyalty  and  patriotism  of  the 
City  of  London  often  manifested  themselves  in  a 
manner  which  we  should  be  happy  to  find  imi- 
tated at  the  present  day.  Indeed  the  address  of 
the  corporation  on  this  particular  occasion  offers 
so  pointed  an  example  to  this  great  metropolis, 
that  we  feel  called  on  to  insert  it,  as  combining 
the  undaunted  expression  of  the  truest  freedom, 
with  all  that  spirit  even  of  courtly  loyalty,  which 
every  true  friend  to  his  King  and  country  ought 
always  to  exhibit. 

"  Most  Gracious  Sovereign, 
"  Your  Majesty's  loyal  subsects,  the  Lord  Mayor, 
Aldermen,  and  Commons  of  the  City  of  London,  in 
Common-council  assembled,  approach  your  Ma- 
jesty with  their  congratulations,  on  the  happy  deli- 
very of  their  most  amiable  Queen,  and  the  birth 
of  another  Prince. 

"  Your  faithful  citizens  of  London,  ever  zealous 
for  your  Majesty's  happiness,  and  the  true  honour 
and  prosperity  of  your  reign,  will  continue  to  re- 

d  d  2 


404  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1773. 

joice  in  every  event  which  adds  to  your  Majesty's 
domestic  felicity;  and  they  hope,  that  every 
branch  of  the  august  House  of  Brunswick  will 
add  further  security  to  those  sacred  laws  and  li- 
berties, which  their  ancestors  would  not  suffer  to 
be  violated  with  impunity ;  and  which,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  glorious  and  necessary  revolution, 
that  illustrious  house  was  called  upon  to  protect 
and  defend." 

In  ordinary  times  such  an  address  was  cer- 
tainly such  an  one  as  free  men  ought  to  present, 
and  a  constitutional  monarch  might  fitly  receive ; 
yet  there  were  some  who  pointedly  thought  that 
the  turn  of  particular  expressions  savoured  more 
of  admonition  and  even  of  threat,  than  of  compli- 
ment. His  Majesty,  however,  whatever  he  might 
have  suspected  of  the  leaven  of  sedition  mingled 
with  the  expression  of  loyalty,  displayed  his 
wonted  good  sense  and  good  humour,  in  consider- 
ing it  as  meaning  no  more  than  it  actually  and 
literally  expressed  ;  and  he  therefore  replied : — 

"  I  thank  you  for  this  dutiful  address,  and  your 
congratulations  on  the  happy  delivery  of  the 
Queen,  and  the  birth  of  another  Prince.  The  re- 
ligion, laws,  and  liberties  of  my  people  have 
always  been,  and  ever  shall  be,  the  constant  ob- 
ject of  my  care  and  attention." 

This  was  indeed  most  true,  as  his  long  life 
manifested  ;  and  it  is  probable  that  the  conscious- 


1773.  HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  405 

ness  of  real  constitutional  feelings  in  his  Majesty's 
heart  really  precluded  him  from  even  suspecting 
that  any  sinister  ideas  could  be  couched  under 
such  loyal  expressions.  He,  therefore,  marked 
his  approval  by  conferring  knighthood  on  Alder- 
men Halifax  and  Watkin  Lewes,  and  also  on  one 
of  the  sheriffs. 

On  the  3d  of  February  the  sale  of  the  jewels, 
trinkets,  plate,  gold  medals,  china,  &c.  belonging 
to  the  late  Princess  Dowager,  was  completed, 
when  a  curious  French  collection  of  silver  medals 
of  Louis  XIV.  and  XV.  were  sold  for  only  eight 
pounds ;  and  a  German  prayer-book,  with  various 
devices,  in  gold  enamelled,  and  embellished  with 
diamonds  and  miniature  paintings,  &c.  fetched 
twenty-six  guineas.  The  rooms  were  crowded 
with  fashion ;  yet  so  scarce  was  money  in  the 
fashionable  world,  that  the  whole  collection  sold 
very  cheap,  and  the  greatest  part  of  the  property 
was  purchased  by  two  jewellers. 

His  Majesty  warmly  patronized  the  expedition 
to  the  North  Pole,  under  Lord  Mulgrave ;  and  in 
June  he  set  out  on  a  tour  to  Portsmouth,  where 
he  paid  great  attention  to  every  thing  connected 
with  the  sea  service,  examining  many  ships  of 
war  personally,  and  investigating  every  thing  both 
in  the  dock-yard  and  ordnance  wharf  with  the 
greatest  precision. 

He  generally  dined  on  board  some  of  the  ships, 


406  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1773. 

where  he  held  levees,  at  which  he  displayed  the 
utmost  affability,  receiving  all  officers  to  the  rank 
of  lieutenants  inclusive. 

The  loyalty  displayed  by  the  immense  crowds 
that  every  where  surrounded  him,  formed  a  strik- 
ing contrast  to  the  misled  London  mobs :  and  on 
one  occasion,  when  he  set  off  before  five  o'clock 
in  the  morning  to  view  the  ramparts  and  land  forti- 
fications, the  guard  not  being  mounted  at  such  an 
early  and  unexpected  hour,  the  soldiers  followed 
him  with  great  confusion,  accompanied  by  an  im- 
mense crowd ;  and  when  General  Harvey  apolo- 
gized for  the  non-attendance  of  the  guard,  his 
Majesty,  turning  round,  answered  with  great  plea- 
santry and  politeness,  "  Poh !  poh !  what  need 
have  I  of  further  guard  ?  my  person  cannot  be 
better  protected  than  by  those  handsome  females 
that  surround  me." 

All  the  various  circumstances  of  naval  and  mi- 
litary splendour  were  combined  during  this  visit 
to  do  honour  to  the  Sovereign ;  who  marked  his 
sense  of  it  by  various  promotions,  as  well  as  by 
handsome  gratuities  to  the  workmen  in  the  dock- 
yards and  ordnance,  to  the  seamen  of  the  flag- 
ship and  yacht,  and  those  more  immediately  about 
his  person,  together  with  250/.  to  the  poor  of  the 
three  towns  which  form  that  naval  depdt. 

After  the  delivery  of  the  Duchess  of  Gloucester 
of  the  present  Princess  Sophia,  a  court  of  common- 


1773.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  407 

council  was  held  in  the  City  on  the  9th  of  June,  at 
which  it  was  proposed  by  Wilkes  that  an  address 
of  congratulation  should  be  presented  to  the  King. 
The  motion  was  seconded  by  Sir  Watkin  Lewes  ; 
but  considerable  opposition  took  place,  particu- 
larly on  the  part  of  Alderman  Trecothick,  who 
objected  to  it  as  an  affront  to  his  Majesty,  who, 
up  to  that  period,  had  not  acknowledged  the 
Duchess  as  his  sister.  The  reply  was,  that  the 
marriage  was  notorious  ;  and  that  the  Dukes  of 
Richmond  and  Dorset,  the  Bishop  of  Exeter, 
Lady  Albemarle,  and  other  personages  of  the  first 
quality,  had  been  present  at  the  delivery.  It 
was,  however,  passed  over  in  the  negative,  upon 
the  more  delicate  plea,  that  it  was  not  usual  for 
the  City  to  address,  except  for  the  issue  of  the 
immediate  heir  to  the  crown. 

The  Royal  baptism  took  place  a  few  days  after- 
wards, when  the  Princess  Amelia,  and  the  Duke 
and  Duchess  of  Cumberland,  were  the  sponsors; 
so  that  it  may  be  supposed  his  Majesty's  displea- 
sure at  that  period,  was  more  a  matter  of  strict 
etiquette  than  of  family  disagreement. 

On  the  6th  of  July  his  Majesty  continued  the 
proposed  inspection  of  the  dock-yards,  by  visiting 
Woolwich,  where  he  was  received  with  all  due 
honours,  and  particularly  examined  the  new  foun- 
dery  for  cannon,  established  by  Mr.  Van  Bruggen, 
in  all  its  various  details. 


408  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1773. 

A  newly-invented  light  piece  of  artillery  was 
exhibited  to  him,  constructed  by  General  Pat- 
tison  on  a  most  convenient  plan,  so  that  both  the 
gun  and  the  carriage  might  be  transported  on 
men's  shoulders  to  places  impracticable  to  the 
usual  modes  of  draught.  He  then  inspected  the 
artillery  corps,  and,  after  the  usual  collation,  re- 
turned to  town. 

This  year  the  King  took  Monsieur  de  Luc  under 
his  immediate  patronage.  That  philosopher,  on 
being  first  presented  to  their  Majesties,  met  with 
a  very  gracious  reception,  and  was  permitted  to 
exhibit  some  experiments  with  his  new-invented 
barometer,  expressly  constructed  for  measuring 
heights ;  and  for  this  purpose  he  took  the  height 
of  a  lofty  tower,  which  being  afterwards  measured 
with  a  line,  his  calculations  were  said  to  approach 
the  truth  within  a  few  inches. 

This,  however,  is  a  degree  of  accuracy  scarcely 
to  be  expected  from  any  instrument  dependant 
upon  the  action  of  a  variable  atmosphere  ;  but  it 
was  sufficient  to  convince  the  King  of  its  general 
utility,  and  he  instantly  gave  leave  to  De  Luc, 
to  place  his  barometer  in  the  Royal  Observatory 
at  Richmond  ;  the  Queen  also  accepted  from  him 
a  hygrometer  upon  an  improved  construction,  ap- 
plicable to  the  management  of  the  moisture  and 
temperature  of  the  hot  and  green  houses  of  the 
botanical  establishment  at  Kew. 


1773.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.        409 

It  was  delightful  to  see  the  Sovereigns  of  a  great 
and  powerful  nation,  thus  filling  up  the  intervals 
of  royalty  ;  indeed  they  both  seemed  anxious  to 
avoid  the  parade  of  state,  as  well  as  the  irregula- 
rities of  a  town  life.  They  seldom  slept  at  the 
Queen's  Palace,  but  returned  to  Kew  in  the 
evenings  after  levees  and  drawing-rooms,  except 
in  the  very  depth  of  winter,  devoting  all  their 
leisure  time  to  general  literature  and  to  rural  ex- 
ercise. 

Perhaps  the  best  picture  of  their  mode  of  life 
is  to  be  found  in  a  diary  of  Dr.  Beattie,  relating 
his  introduction  at  their  country  residence,  and 
which  is  too  descriptive  not  to  be  given  in  his  own 
words.     The  doctor  says, — 

"  Tuesday,  24th  August,  1773,  set  out  for  Dr. 
Majendie's,  at  Kew  Green.  The  doctor  told  me, 
that  he  had  not  seen  the  King  yesterday,  but  had 
left  a  note  in  writing,  to  intimate  that  I  was  to  be 
at  his  house  to-day ;  and  that  one  of  the  King's 
pages  had  come  to  him  this  morning  to  say,  '  that 
his  Majesty  would  see  me  a  little  after  twelve.' 
At  twelve  the  doctor  and  I  went  to  the  King's 
house  at  Kew.  We  had  been  only  a  few  minutes 
in  the  hall  when  the  King  and  Queen  came  in 
from  an  airing ;  and  as  they  passed  through  the 
hall,  the  King  called  me  by  name,  and  asked  how 
long  it  was  since  I  came  from  town.  I  answered 
him,  About  an  hour.     '  I  shall  see  you,'  says  he, 


410  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1773. 

'  in  a  little  while.'  The  doctor  and  I  waited  a 
considerable  time,  for  the  King  was  busy ;  and 
then  we  were  called  into  a  large  room,  furnished 
as  a  library,  where  the  King  was  walking  about, 
and  the  Queen  sitting  in  a  chair.  We  were  re- 
ceived in  the  most  gracious  manner  possible  by 
both  their  Majesties.  I  had  the  honour  of  a  con- 
versation with  them,  nobody  else  being  present 
but  Dr.  Majendie,  for  upwards  of  an  hour,  on  a 
great  variety  of  topics,  in  which  both  the  King  and 
Queen  joined,  with  a  degree  of  cheerfulness,  af- 
fability, and  ease,  that  was  to  me  surprising,  and 
soon  dissipated  the  embarrassment  which  I  felt 
at  the  beginning  of  the  conference.  They  both 
complimented  me  in  the  highest  terms  on  my 
Essay,  which  they  said  was  a  book  they  always 
kept  by  them :  and  the  King  said  he  had  one 
copy  of  it  at  Kew,  and  another  in  town,  and  im- 
mediately went  and  took  it  down  from  a  shelf. 
I  found  it  was  the  second  edition,  '  I  never  stole 
a  book  but  once,'  said  his  Majesty,  '  and  that  was 
yours,'  (speaking  to  me) :  '  I  stole  it  from  the 
Queen,  to  give  it  to  Lord  Hertford  to  read.'  He 
had  heard  that  the  sale  of  Hume's  Essays  had 
failed  since  my  book  was  published ;  and  I  told 
him  what  Mr.  Strahan  had  told  me  in  regard  to 
that  matter.  He  had  even  heard  of  my  being  at 
Edinburgh  last  summer,  and  how  Mr.  Hume  was 
offended  on  the  score  of  my  book.     He   asked 


1773.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  411 

many  questions  about  the  second  part  of  the 
Essay,  and  when  it  would  be  ready  for  the  press. 
I  gave  him,  in  a  short  speech,  an  account  of  the 
plan  of  it ;  and  said,  my  health  was  so  precarious, 
I  could  not  tell  when  it  might  be  ready,  as  I  had 
many  books  to  consult  before  I  could  finish  it ; 
but  that,  if  my  health  was  good,  I  thought  I  might 
bring  it  to  a  conclusion  in  two  or  three  years. 
He  asked  how  long  I  had  been  in  composing  my 
Essay  ;  praised  the  caution  with  which  it  was 
written  ;  and  said  that  he  did  not  wonder  that  it 
had  employed  me  five  or  six  years.  He  asked 
about  my  Poems.  I  said  there  was  only  one  poem 
of  my  own,  on  which  I  set  any  value  (meaning 
the  Minstrel),  and  that  it  was  first  published 
about  the  same  time  as  the  Essay.  My  other  poems, 
I  said,  were  incorrect,  being  but  juvenile  pieces, 
and  of  little  consequence  even  in  my  own  opinion. 
We  had  much  conversation  on  moral  subjects ; 
from  which  both  their  Majesties  let  it  appear  that 
they  were  warm  friends  to  Christianity ;  and  so 
little  inclined  to  infidelity,  that  they  could  hardly 
believe  that  any  thinking  man  could  really  be  an 
atheist,  unless  he  could  bring  himself  to  believe 
that  he  had  made  himself: — a  thought  which 
pleased  the  King  exceedingly,  and  he  repeated  it 
several  times  to  the  Queen.  He  asked  whether  any 
thing  had  been  written  against  me.  1  spoke  of  the 
late  pamphlet,  of  which  I  gave  an  account ;  telling- 


412  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1773. 

him  that  I  had  never  met  with  any  man  that  had 
read  it,  except  one  quaker.  This  brought  on  some 
discourse  about  the  quakers,  whose  moderation  and 
mild  behaviour  the  King  and  Queen  commended. 
I  was  asked  many  questions  about  the  Scots  uni- 
versities, the  revenues  of  the  Scots  clergy,  their 
mode  of  praying  and  preaching,  the  medical  col- 
lege of  Edinburgh,  Dr.  Gregory,  and  Dr.  Cullen  ; 
the  length  of  our  vacation  at  Aberdeen,  and  the 
closeness  of  our  attendance  during  the  winter; 
the  number  of  students  that  attend  my  lectures, 
my  mode  of  lecturing,  whether  from  notes  or  com- 
pletely written  lectures ;  about  Mr.  Hume,  and  Dr. 
Robertson,  and  Lord  Kinnoul,  and  the  Archbishop 
of  York,  &c. — His  Majesty  asked,  what  I  thought 
of  my  new  acquaintance  Lord  Dartmouth?  I 
said  there  was  something  in  his  air  and  manner, 
which  I  thought  not  only  agreeable,  but  enchant- 
ing, and  that  he  seemed  to  me  to  be  one  of  the 
best  of  men;  a  sentiment  in  which  both  their 
Majesties  heartily  joined.  '  They  say  that  Lord 
Dartmouth  is  an  enthusiast,'  said  the  King ;  '  but 
surely  he  says  nothing  on  the  subject  of  reli- 
gion, but  what  every  Christian  may  and  ought  to 
say.' 

"  He  asked  whether  I  did  not  think  the  English 
language  on  the  decline  at  present  ?  I  answered 
in  the  affirmative;  and  the  King  agreed,  and 
named  the  Spectator  as  one  of  the  best  standards 


1773.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  413 

of  the  Language.  When  I  told  him  that  the  Scots 
clergy  sometimes  prayed  a  quarter,  or  even  half 
an  hour  at  a  time,  he  asked,  whether  that  did  not 
lead  them  into  repetitions  ?  I  said  it  often  did. 
'  That,'  said  he,  '  I  don't  like  in  prayers ;  and 
excellent  as  our  liturgy  is,  I  think  it  somewhat 
faulty  in  that  respect.'  '  Your  Majesty  knows/ 
said  I,  '  that  three  services  are  joined  in  one,  in 
the  ordinary  church  service,  which  is  one  cause  of 
these  repetitions.'  '  True,'  he  replied ;  *  and 
that  circumstance  also  makes  the  service  too 
long.'  From  this  he  took  occasion  to  speak  of 
the  composition  of  the  church  liturgy ;  on  which 
he  very  justly  bestowed  the  highest  commenda- 
tion. '  Observe,'  his  Majesty  said,  '  how  flat 
those  occasional  prayers  are,  that  are  now  com- 
posed, in  comparison  with  the  old  ones.'  When 
I  mentioned  the  smallness  of  the  church  livings 
in  Scotland,  he  said,  '  He  wondered  how  men 
of  liberal  education  would  choose  to  become 
clergymen  there :'  and  asked,  '  whether,  in  the 
remote  parts  of  the  country,  the  clergy  in  general 
were  not  very  ignorant?'  1  answered,  '  No:  for 
that  education  was  cheap  in  Scotland,  and  that 
the  clergy  in  general  were  men  of  good  sense  and 
competent  learning.'  He  asked  whether  we  had 
any  good  preachers  in  Aberdeen  ?  I  said,  Yes  ; 
and  named  Campbell  and  Gerard  ;  with  whose 
names,  however,  I  did  not  find  that  he  was  ac- 


414  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1773. 

quainted.  Dr.  Majendie  mentioned  Dr.  Oswald's 
Appeal  with  commendation ;  I  praised  it  too ; 
and  the  Queen  took  down  the  name  with  a  view 
to  send  for  it.  I  was  asked  whether  I  knew  Dr. 
Oswald  ?  I  answered,  I  did  not ;  and  said,  that 
my  book  was  published  before  I  read  his  ;  that  Dr. 
Oswald  was  well  known  to  Lord  Kinnoul,  who  had 
often  proposed  to  make  us  acquainted. — We  dis- 
cussed a  great  many  other  topics ;  for  the  con- 
versation lasted  upwards  of  an  hour.  The  Queen 
bore  a  large  share  in  it.  Both  the  King  and  her 
Majesty  shewed  a  great  deal  of  good  sense,  acute- 
ness,  and  knowledge,  as  well  as  of  good-nature 
and  affability.  At  last  the  King  took  out  his 
watch,  (for  it  was  now  almost  three  o'clock,  his 
hour  of  dinner,)  which  Dr.  Majendie  and  I  took 
as  a  signal  to  withdraw :  we  accordingly  bowed 
to  their  Majesties,  and  I  addressed  the  King  in 
these  words  :  '  I  hope,  Sir,  your  Majesty  will 
pardon  me,  if  I  take  this  opportunity  to  return 
you  my  humble  and  most  grateful  acknowledge- 
ments for  the  honour  you  have  been  pleased  to 
confer  upon  me. '  He  immediately  answered,  '  I 
think  I  could  do  no  less  for  a  man  who  has  done 
so  much  service  for  the  cause  of  Christianity :  I 
shall  always  be  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  shew 
the  good  opinion  I  have  of  you.' 

"  The  Queen  sat  all  the  while,  and  the  King 
stood,  sometimes   walking  about  a   little.     Her 


1773.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.         415 

Majesty  speaks  the  English  language  with  sur- 
prising elegance,  and  little  or  nothing  of  a  foreign 
manner ;  so  that  if  she  were  only  of  the  rank  of  a 
private  gentlewoman,  one  could  not  help  taking 
notice  of  her  as  one  of  the  most  agreeable  women 
in  the  world.  Her  face  is  much  more  pleasing 
than  any  of  her  pictures  ;  and  in  the  expression 
of  her  eyes,  and  in  her  smile,  there  is  something 
peculiarly  engaging." 

This  interview  was  followed  up  by  something 
more  solid  than  praise,  on  the  4th  of  September, 
when  an  order  was  made  out  for  a  pension  of  200/. 
per  annum  to  the  doctor,  "  on  account  of  his  lite- 
rary merit." 

This,  we  believe,  was  spontaneous  on  the  part 
of  the  King,  similar  to  the  Queen's  generous  pen- 
sion to  Dr.  Blair,  on  account  of  the  pleasure  which 
she  had  derived  from  reading  his  sermons. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  none  of  the  patronage 
which  the  King  bestowed  upon  literature  and  the 
fine  arts,  seems  to  have  been  extended  towards  Sir 
Joshua  Reynolds,  with  the  exception  of  the  knight- 
hood conferred  upon  him  at  his  election  to  the 
chair  of  President  of  the  Royal  Academy.  It  has 
been  surmised  indeed,  that  the  royal  founder  felt 
some  chagrin  in  consequence  of  the  late  vene- 
rable President  not  having  been  elected  to  that 
office :  but  his  knowledge  of  Mr.  West  was  then 
too  recent  to  warrant  that  supposition.     However 


416  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1773. 

this  may  have  been,  it  must  be  acknowledged  that 
Reynolds  had  not  the  good  fortune  to  become  a 
favourite  at  court,  although  Cotes  and  Ramsay, 
two  inferior  artists,  but  who  shared  with  him,  in 
some  degree,  the  fashion  of  the  day,  had  several 
royal  orders  to  execute.  The  only,  and  indeed 
two  exquisite,  portraits  of  the  Royal  Family  which 
Reynolds  painted,  are  those  of  the  King  and  Queen 
in  the  council  chamber  at  Somerset-house  ;  and 
these  were  executed,  not  by  royal  command,  but 
at  the  President's  own  desire,  as  a  kind  of  duty 
attached  to  his  office. 

If  it  is  true  that  the  King  felt  disappointed  at 
the  election,  his  feelings  did  not,  however,  prevent 
him  from  giving  the  most  solid  proofs  of  his  attach- 
ment to  the  art  itself;  for,  as  the  proceeds  of  the 
exhibitions  in  early  years  were  not  sufficient  to 
meet  the  expenses,  his  Majesty  most  graciously 
promised  all  necessary  extra  aid  from  his  own 
privy  purse ;  a  promise  which  he  strictly  fulfilled 
by  annual  disbursements  for  some  years,  to  the 
aggregate  amount  of  at  least  5000/. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  a  circumstance  favour- 
able to  the  arts  was  about  to  take  place,  upon 
which  indeed  his  Majesty  did  not  publicly  express 
any  opinion,  though  we  may  perhaps,  from  the 
result,  draw  the  conclusion  that  he  was  not  per- 
sonally anxious  for  it.  The  ingenious  biographer 
of  Reynolds  says,  that  the  chapel  of  old  Somerset- 


1773.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  417 

house,  which  had  been  given  by  the  King  to  the 
Royal  Academy,  was  mentioned  at  one  of  their 
meetings  as  a  place  which  offered  a  good  oppor- 
tunity of  convincing  the  public  at  large  of  the 
advantage    that    would  arise  from    ornamenting 
cathedrals  and  churches  with  the  productions  of 
the  pencil ;  productions  which  might  be  useful  in 
their  effect,  and  not   likely  to   give  offence  in  a 
protestant     country.      The    idea    was    therefore 
started,   that   if  the  members    should   ornament 
this  chapel,  the  example  might  thus   afford   an 
opening  for  the  introduction  of  the  art  into  other 
places  of  a  similar  nature,  and  which,  as  it  was 
then  stated,  would  not  only  present  a  new  and 
noble  scene  of  action,  that  might  be  highly  orna- 
mental to  the  kingdom,   but  would  be,  in  some 
measure,  absolutely  necessary  for  the  future  la- 
bours of  the  numerous  students  educated  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Royal  Academy.  All  the  mem- 
bers, continues  Mr.  Northcote,  were  struck  with 
the  propriety,  and  even  with  the  probability  of 
success  which  attended  the  scheme ;  but  Reynolds 
having  taken  it  up  on  a  bolder  plan,  and  offering 
an  amendment,  that  instead  of  the  chapel  they 
should  fly  at  once  at  higher  game,  and  undertake 
St.  Paul's  cathedral,  the  grandeur  of  the  idea  in- 
stantly struck  all  present;  the  proposal  was  re- 
ceived unanimously,  and  Reynolds  empowered  to 
make  the  offer  to  the  dean  and  chapter,   who  in- 

VOL.   I.  E    E 


418  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1773. 

stantly  acceded  ;  but  the  design  was  finally  drop- 
ped on  the  opposition  of  the  Archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury and  the  Bishop  of  London. 

It  is  certainly  probable  that  the  same  conscien- 
tious feeling  with  regard  to  popery,  which  had 
actuated  his  Majesty  in  other  circumstances,  be- 
yond the  granting  free  liberty  of  conscience,  may 
have  induced  him  to  offer  hints  to  the  archbishop; 
yet  it  is  not  the  less  true  that  paintings  do  actually 
exist  in  the  church,  in  the  interior  of  the  dome 
painted  by  Thornhill. 

His  Majesty  made  a  second  visit  to  Woolwich 
in  the  autumn,  to  see  the  effect  of  some  curious 
smoke  balls,  invented  by  General  Desaguliers, 
the  intention  of  which,  as  exemplified  in  a  mock 
engagement,  was  to  cover  an  assailing  body  when 
repulsed  from  a  strong  position,  and  thus  prevent 
the  enemy  from  availing  themselves  of  the  conse- 
quent confusion. 

Some  specimens  of  quick  firing  were  also  exhi- 
bited, when  thirteen  rounds  of  case  shot  were 
fired  from  a  long  three-pounder,  within  the  space 
of  twenty-six  seconds,  sending  579  shot  through 
the  first  target,  representing  a  brigade  in  the  first 
line  of  battle,  at  the  distance  of  400  yards,  and  a 
greater  number  through  the  second  target,  at  a 
distance  of  200  yards  in  rear  of  the  first ;  a 
performance  which  drew  great  praises  from  his 
Majesty. 


1773.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  419 

In  October  this  year  the  statue  of  his  Majesty 
in  Berkeley-square  was  first  opened  to  public 
view ;  and  it  was  about  this  date  that  the  late 
venerable  president  of  the  Royal  Academy  was 
appointed  historical  painter  to  the  King.  Soon 
after  this  Mr.  West  executed  the  paintings  from 
the  wars  of  Edward  III.  in  St.  George's  Hall  at 
Windsor;  but  it  was  not  until  1790  that  he  was 
appointed  surveyor  of  the  Royal  pictures. 

1774. 

In  this  year  the  King  declared  himself  patron 
of  the  Royal  Humane  Society ;  *  and  about  this 

*  This  patronage  was  afterwards  justly  noted  at  a  public 
meeting,  immediately  after  the  royal  demise;  when,  speaking 
of  the  Institution,  it  was  said — "  For  nearly  forty  years  it  con- 
tinued to  receive  the  benefit  of  his  patronage;  a  patronage 
never  lightly  bestowed,  and  which  was  the  more  distinguished 
and  effective,  because  wisely  and  judiciously  reserved  for  in- 
stitutions which  he  deemed  of  pre-eminent  benefit  to  his 
country. 

"  In  expressing  their  profound  sense  of  the  loss  which  the 
society  has  sustained,  the  directors  and  governors  now  present 
would  gratefully  record — that  if  the  Institution  were  originally 
founded  on  the  most  enlightened  views  of  science,  and  the  purest 
principles  of  benevolence;  if  it  have  since  become  the  means 
of  methodizing  and  perfecting,  to  a  considerable  extent,  the 
processes  of  resuscitative  art,  and  of  extending  those  processes, 
within  a  period  of  forty  years,  to  the  restoration  of  several 
thousands  of  lives;  if,  in  addition  to  this,  it  have  given  birth 
to    many    similar  associations,   both    in    various   parts  of   our 

E  E  2 


420  geor(;e  the  third,.  1774. 

time  also  his  Majesty  displayed  his  fine  taste  for 
the  arts,  by  discovering  the  abilities  of  Gainsbo- 
rough, who,  though  much  admired  during  his  re- 
sidence at  Ipswich  by  his  friends,  found  himself 
but  unprofitably  situated  when  he  attempted  to 
practise  in  the  metropolis.  But  the  King,  who 
was  always  inquiring  after  talent,  having  heard 
some  mention  of  him,  engaged  the  neglected 
painter  to  execute  that  full-length  of  himself  which 
has  long  been  so  much  admired  at  Buckingham- 
house  ;  soon  after  which  he  had  the  honour  to 
paint  the  whole  Royal  Family.  His  picture  of 
the  "  Woodman  in  the  Storm"  drew  great  praise 
from  the  King,  as  well  as  much  public  admiration. 
So  little  was  the  American  contest  expected  to 
assume  a  serious  form  in  the  be^innino-  of  1774, 
that  when  on  the  13th  of  January,  the  King 
opened  the  Session  of  Parliament  with  a  speech 
from  the  throne,  his  Majesty  observed  that  the 
state  of  foreign  affairs  then  afforded  full  leisure  for 
the  legislature  to  attend  to  the  improvement  of  our 

country  and  in  foreign  nations — to  the  late  revered  and  la- 
mented King  belongs  the  glory  of  having  taken  it  by  the  hand 
when  but  an  infant  institution,  and  of  having  led  it  through 
the  dangers  and  difficulties  of  its  first  establishment  and  inci- 
pient efforts. 

"  Thus,  in  becoming  the  Patron  of  the  Humane  Society,  his 
Majesty  distinctively  and  prominently  recommended  it  to 
public  notice  and  encouragement;  to  him,  therefore,  is  to  be 
justly  ascribed  a  hirge  measure  both  of  its  success  and  glory." 


1774.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  421 

internal  and  domestic  situation,  and  to  the  prose- 
cution of  such  measures  as  more  immediately  re- 
spected the  preservation  and  advancement  of  the 
revenue  and  commerce  of  the  empire.  But  these 
happy  prospects  were  speedily  terminated  by  in- 
formation of  the  Boston  riots,  when  a  message 
was  delivered  to  the  Houses  of  Parliament  on 
that  subject,  accompanied  by  numerous  explana- 
tory state  documents,  and  followed  up  by  a  series 
of  strong  restrictive  measures,  which  met  with  a 
strong-  opposition,  but  were  finally  carried  not- 
withstanding the  almost  prophetic  warning  of 
Mr.  Rose  Fuller  on  the  last  reading  of  the  billi 
To  expatiate  on  the  political  question  is  no  part  of 
our  present  personal  biography;  but  without  tak- 
ing any  decided  part  on  the  point  of  political  right, 
we  may  be  permitted  to  express  two  opinions 
on  the  point  of  political  expediency.  The  first  of 
these  is,  that  Britain  has  derived  more  commercial 
profit  from  America,  since  her  independence,  than 
she  probably  would  have  done  in  the  same  pre- 
cise years,  had  the  United  States  still  been  sub- 
ject to  our  controul ;  and  the  second  is,  that  it 
would  have  been  a  blessing  to  both  nations  if  that 
independence  could  at  once  have  been  granted 
without  a  contest.  Considering  the  nature  of 
man,  indeed,  and  his  political  prejudices,  such  a 
measure  was  not  to  be  expected  ;  but  after-ases 
may  learn  a  lesson  from  it,  when  other  colonies, 


422  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1774. 

confident  in  their  own  strength,  shall  become 
anxious  for  their  own  independence.  Let  the 
politicians  of  that  future  day  calmly  inquire  whe- 
ther dominion  can  be  effectually  preserved.  If 
not,  then  acquiescence  will  be  the  wisest  plan. 
To  colonize  is  generally  advantageous,  sometimes 
necessary ;  but  the  time  must  at  length  arrive, 
when,  able  to  protect  themselves,  a  desire  of 
independence  will  arise  in  the  breasts  of  those 
who  inhabit  large  colonies ;  the  best  wisdom  will 
then  be,  to  yield  gracefully  to  existing  circum- 
stances, instead  of  commencing  a  scene  of  blood- 
shed and  increased  expenditure. 

Nor  can  such  calculations  be  very  difficult,  if 
plain  facts  are  adverted  to.  At  the  very  period 
of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  Dr.  Franklin,  in 
writing  to  a  friend,  says — "  Britain,  at  the  expense 
of  three  millions,  has  killed  a  hundred  and  fifty 
Yankees  this  campaign,  which  is  20,000/.  a  head; 
and  at  Bunkers-hill  she  gained  a  mile  of  ground, 
half  of  which  she  lost  again  by  our  taking  post  on 
Ploughed-hill.  During  the  same  time,  sixty  thou- 
sand children  have  been  born  in  America :  from 
these  data  may  easily  be  calculated  the  time  and 
expense' necessary  to  kill  us  all,  and  conquer  the 
whole  territory." 

About  the  same  time  also  Dr.  Price  published 
his  well-known  Treatise ;  and  the  late  Duke  of 
Cumberland,  seeing  him  in  an  antichamber  of  the 


1774.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  423 

House  of  Lords,  expressed  his  approbation  of  it ; 
adding,  that  he  had  sat  up  so  late  the  night  be- 
fore to  read  it,  that  it  almost  blinded  him.  Mr. 
Dunning,  afterwards  Lord  Ashburton,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  present,  observed  he  was  sorry  his 
Royal  Highness  should  be  affected  in  such  a  man- 
ner by  a  work  which  had  opened  the  eyes  of  the 
greatest  part  of  the  nation! 

By  this  digression  it  is  not  intended  to  deny 
that  those  who  claim  protection  owe  allegiance; 
that  the  mother  country  must  always  have  the 
right  of  judgment  as  well  as  the  colony ;  nor  that 
the  principles  of  common  sense  and  self-preserva- 
tion justify  the  mother  country  in  using  force, 
when  a  permitted  independence  on  the  part  of 
the  colony  would  throw  the  latter  at  the  mercy 
of  an  enemy :  it  is  only  hinted  at,  to  shew  that 
circumstances  may  exist  to  justify  consent  to  se- 
paration without  any  impeachment  of  national 
honour,  when  conciliation  may  preserve  friend- 
ship, though  coercion  cannot  maintain  dominion. 

To  England,  America  then  owed  every  thing; 
but  had  she  then  been  subjected,  her  subjugation 
could  only  have  been  of  short  continuance  ;  there- 
fore, without  disputing  our  right,  we  may  lament 
our  policy. 

The  King  at  this  period  was  remarkable  for  his 
early  hours,  always  rising  at  six  o'clock,  and  form- 
ing his  arrangements  so  as  to  call  the  two  succeed- 


424  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1774. 

ing  hours  his  own.  Whilst  residing  at  Kew,  the 
custom  was  always  at  eight  o'clock  to  assemble 
all  the  elder  children  at  Kew-house  to  breakfast, 
to  which  meal  one  hour  was  allotted ;  when,  at 
nine,  the  younger  issue  were  brought  in  to  lisp 
their  good-morrows.  The  elder  then  were  set 
seriously  to  their  tasks,  whilst  the  others  were 
dismissed  with  their  nurses  to  ramble  through  the 
gardens. 

The  children  all  dined  together  at  an  early  hour*, 
and  that  meal  was  always  a  matter  of  amusement 
to  their  Majesties,  who  often  took  a  ramble  after- 
wards in  the  gardens,  until  their  own  dinner-hour, 
accompanied  by  all  the  royal  progeny  in  pairs. 

After  dinner  the  Queen  took  up  some  piece  of 
elegant  work,  and  the  King,  if  not  engaged  in 
business,  cheered  the  afternoon  hours  by  some 
amusing  or  instructive  reading ;  and  it  was  well 
observed,  that  whatever  charms  ambition  or  folly 
might  conceive  as  attendant  upon  so  exalted  a 

*  The  children's  fare  was  always  homely  and  free  from 
luxury.  In  a  recent  obituary,  noticing  the  death  of  Mr.  Gas- 
koin,  a  Lincolnshire  farmer,  we  find  it  stated  that  it  was  from 
his  wife,  when  on  a  visit  to  the  Queen  many  years  ago,  that 
the  Gaskoin  caps  received  their  name.  She  was  also  employed 
while  on  this  visit,  in  making  for  the  King  rye  bread,  which 
homelv  fare  was  so  much  approved  of  by  his  Majesty,  that  the 
old  lady,  during  her  life,  made  a  rule  of  sending  his  Majesty 
a  treat  of  this  sort  annually  ;  and  the  practice  was  continued 
by  Mrs.  G.'s  daughter. 


[§     ROYAL,     HIGHNESS 


ADOLPHUS     FEE  BE  MIC  IK 


Duke  or  Cambridge 


Born   Feb?  24:  lj]4>. 


1774.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  425 

situation,  it  was  neither  on  the  throne,  nor  in  the 
drawing-room,  nor  in  the  splendour  of  the  toys  of 
sovereignty,  that  the  royal  couple  placed  their 
felicity;  hut,  next  to  the  fulfilling  the  duties  of 
their  station,  it  was  in  social  and  domestic  gratifi- 
cations, in  breathing  the  free  air,  admiring  the 
works  of  nature,  tasting  and  encouraging  the  ele- 
gancies of  art ;  and,  above  all,  in  living  to  their 
own  hearts. 

In  the  evening  it  was  customary  for  all  the 
children  again  to  pay  their  duty  at  Kew-house, 
before  they  retired  to  rest ;  and  the  same  order 
was  observed  through  each  succeeding  day.  But 
this  strict  attention  to  domestic  duties  and  plea- 
sures did  not  prevent  his  Majesty  from  a  due 
observance  of  all  those  claims  which  his  exalted 
situation  had  upon  him.  He  attended  sedulously 
to  state  affairs,  yet  still  appeared  the  father  of  his 
family,  redressing  every  grievance  that  came  to 
his  ear,  encouraging  merit  and  ingenuity  of  every 
kind,  wherever  discovered,  and  following  with 
ease,  yet  with  precision,  a  line  of  conduct  as  ex- 
emplary as  it  was  amiable. 

In  his  public  capacity  he  always  shewed  him- 
self a  lover  of  peace,  though  a  sense  of  public  duty 
induced  him  to  join  in  the  adoption  of  forcible 
measures  to  put  down  the  rebellion  of  the  Colo- 
nies ;  but  though  a  lover  of  peace,  he  did  not  shut 
his  eyes  to  the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  military 


426  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1774. 

affairs.  To  him  it  was  always  a  source  of  plea- 
sure to  exercise  the  troops ;  and  in  this  he  dis- 
played a  degree  of  technical  knowledge  and  pre- 
cision equal  to  that  of  the  most  affected  martinet. 

In  his  more  retired  studies,  topography,  of  all 
kinds,  was  a  most  favourite  pursuit.  He  even 
went  so  far  as  to  make  copies  of  the  best  charts, 
and  models  of  all  the  principal  fortifications  of 
Europe  ;  and  it  was  a  well-known  fact  that  he 
was  even  well  conversant  with  the  soundings  of 
the  most  important  ports,  and  also  with  the  strong 
and  weak  sides  of  the  best  fortifications  throughout 
the  world.  He  likewise  knew  the  names,  numbers, 
uniforms,  &c.  of  every  regiment,  their  officers  ge- 
nerally, their  past  deeds,  and  present  points  of 
service ;  to  which  we  must  add  a  correct  know- 
ledge of  the  names  and  force  of  every  ship  in  the 
navy,  with  their  commanders,  and  in  short  much 
of  the  tact  and  tactics  of  both  services. 

In  educating  his  children  his  object  was  to 
teach  them  the  same  species  of  useful  knowledge, 
in  addition  to  classical  acquirements,  in  which 
even  at  that  early  period  they  were  acknowledged 
to  surpass  their  contemporaries  as  much  as  in  ab- 
solute rank.  For  the  elder  boys,  eight  hours' 
close  application  to  the  languages,  and  the  liberal 
sciences,  were  strictly  enjoined  ;  and  this  was  fol- 
lowed up  by  the  most  unremitted  industry.  The 
younger  branches  were  not  so  closely  confined  to 


1774.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  427 

study ;  but  there  was  no  favouritism  :  all  submitted 
to  the  same  regulations  in  general.  Exercise,  air, 
and  light  diet,  were  the  grand  fundamentals  in  the 
King's  ideas  of  health  and  sprightliness.  He  him- 
self then  fed  chiefly  on  vegetables,  and  drank  but 
little  wine ;  and  the  same  system  was  pursued 
with  the  children. 

In  the  household,  regularity  was  indeed  said  to 
amount  to  abstemiousness ;  but  on  this  subject  a 
thousand  stories  were  circulated,  though  all  really 
unfounded.  The  only  real  subject  of  complaint 
was  on  the  part  of  the  maids  of  honour,  who  re- 
monstrated against  the  disuse  of  suppers  ;  and 
though  the  King  would  not  break  through  his 
previous  arrangements,  yet  he  settled  the  business 
at  once,  by  ordering  an  addition  to  their  allow- 
ances in  lieu. 

The  malevolence  of  party,  at  this  moment,  did 
great  injustice  to  the  King's  character,  both  public 
and  private.  Many  of  the  leading  demagogues 
were  men  of  most  immoral  conduct,  and  were 
either  blind  to,  or  felt  themselves  shamed  by,  the 
domestic  virtues  of  their  Monarch,  who,  in  spite 
of  unmerited  calumny,  still  shewed  himself  ani- 
mated by  the  noblest  intentions,  and  %by  the 
warmest  affection  for  his  people.  But  it  was  then 
the  fashion  of  the  day  to  represent  him  as  despo- 
tic, inflexible,  vindictive,  and  anxious  to  domi- 
neer both  at  home  and  in  the  colonies,  by  mea- 


428  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1774. 

sures  the  most  tyrannical  and  unconstitutional. 
His  love  of  retirement  was  called  Asiatic  seclusion ; 
his  pleasures  were  misrepresented;  his  taste  sati- 
rized ;  and  his  most  harmless  recreations  held  up 
to  public  ridicule ;  his  economy  designated  ava- 
rice ;  and  even  his  religious  principles  exposed  to 
derision.  His  fondness  for  gardening  was  seized 
upon  by  our  English  garden  poet,  Mason,  as  the 
text  for  a  satire  upon  Chambers's  Oriental  Gar- 
dening ;  and,  perhaps  against  the  poet's  wish,  the 
ridicule  intended  for  Chambers  was  thrown  upon 
the  King. 

His  Majesty  at  this  period  had  an  idea  of  crea- 
ting a  new  order  amongst  the  baronets,  to  include 
all  of  one  century's  standing.  The  insignia  of  the 
order  to  be  worn  on  the  left  breast,  consisting  of 
a  small  globe,  embroidered  with  the  device,  "  Che- 
valier de  Cent  ans." 

1775. 
The  botanical  garden  at  Kew  received  in  the 
course  of  this  year  a  most  valuable  supply  of  exo- 
tics, by  the  return  of  Mr.  Mason  from  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  whom  his  Majesty  had  sent  thither 
about  three  years  before,  to  collect  seeds  and 
plants.  The  acquisitions  made  by  Mr.  Mason 
were  both  new  and  valuable  ;  that  able  practical 
botanist  having  travelled  near  900  miles  to  the 
north  of  the  Cape,  and  seen  more  of  the  interior 


1775.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  429 

of  Africa  than  had  previously  been  visited   by 
Europeans. 

Much  praise  is  due  to  the  King  for  his  personal 
patronage  of  the  intrepid  Cook,  who  from  the  able 
manner  in  which  he  performed  his  voyage  for  the 
investigation  of  the  southern  hemisphere,  had  in- 
deed justly  and  powerfully  recommended  himself 
to  the  protection  and  encouragement  of  all  those 
who  had  patronized  that  undertaking.  Lord  Sand- 
wich in  particular  took  the  first  opportunity  of  re- 
presenting his  merits  to  his  Majesty,  who  instantly 
and  warmly  expressed  his  anxiety  to  confer  every 
professional  favour  upon  a  man  who  had  so  emi- 
nently fulfilled  his  royal  and  munificent  inten- 
tions ;  and  accordingly  the  able  navigator  was 
raised  to  the  rank  of  post-captain,  and  three  days 
afterwards,  at  the  King's  express  desire,  appoint- 
ed to  the  honourable  and  comfortable  retreat  of  a 
captain  of  Greenwich  Hospital,  as  a  pleasing  and 
appropriate  reward  for  his  illustrious  labours  and 
services. 

Dr.  Askew's  library  was  sold  this  year,  a  col- 
lection, in  regard  to  Greek  and  Roman  literature, 
unique  in  its  day,  and  sought  after  by  almost 
every  man  then  eminent  for  bibliographical  re- 
search. His  Majesty  displayed  his  good  taste  by 
laying  out  upwards  of  300/.  in  purchases. 

During  this  and  the  preceding  year,  a  long  cor- 


430  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1775. 

respondeiice  was  carried  on  between  the  King, 
and  the  unhappy  Queen  of  Denmark,  then  at 
Zell,  which  is  said  by  a  well-known  biogra- 
phical baronet,  to  have  been  of  a  most  interest- 
ing nature,  and  in  which  he  was  confidentially 
employed.  This,  however,  was  a  business  totally 
distinct  from  national  state  affairs,  and  its  reward 
came  within  the  scope  of  his  Majesty's  private 
munificence,  which  he  manifested  by  a  very  gra- 
cious and  very  liberal  present  of  one  thousand 
guineas,  paid  through  the  medium  of  Lord  North, 
and  accompanied  with  assurances  of  future  em- 
ployment for  the  negotiator. 

It  was  now  the  fashion  of  the  day  for  the  Lon- 
don patriots  to  object  to  the  American  war  ;  and 
on  the  10th  of  April,  the  Lord  Mayor,  some  of 
the  Aldermen,  the  Sheriffs,  and  a  Committee  of 
the  Livery,  waited  on  his  Majesty  with  an  address, 
remonstrance,  and  petition,  against  the  American 
war  generally,  but  also  stating  other  grounds  of 
complaint. 

The  King  answered,  that  it  was  with  the  ut- 
most astonishment  that  he  found  any  of  his  sub- 
jects capable  of  encouraging  the  rebellious  dis- 
position which  unhappily  existed  in  some  of  the 
North  American  Colonies ;  but,  having  entire  con- 
fidence in  the  wisdom  of  Parliament,  he  was  de- 
termined to  pursue  the  measures  which  they  had 


1775.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  431 

recommended  for  the  support  of  the  constitutional 
rights  of  Great  Britain,  and  the  protection  of  the 
commercial  interests  of  his  kingdoms. 

It  was  on  the  next  day  that  a  letter  was  sent  to 
the  Lord  Mayor  by  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  said  to 
be  to  the  following  purport : — 

"  My  Lord,  I  am  ordered  by  his  Majesty  to 
acquaint  your  lordship,  as  chief  magistrate  of  the 
City  of  London,  that  his  Majesty  will  not  receive, 
on  the  throne,  any  address,  remonstrance,  or  peti- 
tion, of  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Aldermen,  but  in 
their  corporate  capacity." 

This  was  evidently  done  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
venting insulting  addresses  being  read  to  the 
King :  for  though,  at  that  moment,  the  City  pa- 
triots had  the  command  of  the  Common  Hall,  yet 
the  Corporation,  as  such,  was  still  free  from  their 
grasp. 

The  28th  of  June  was  remarkable  for  bringing 
to  issue  the  dispute  between  his  Majesty  and  the 
City  of  London,  respecting  the  mode  and  manner 
of  presenting  addresses.  The  Sheriffs  attended 
at  court  at  St.  James's,  in  obedience  to  the  King's 
appointment  as  notified  to  them  atKew;  and  Mr. 
Sheriff  Plomer  addressing  the  King  said — "  May 
it  please  your  Majesty,  we  are  ordered  by  the 
Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Livery  of  the  City 
of  London,  in  Common-hall  assembled,  to  wait 
upon  your  Majesty,  humbly  to  know  your  Majes- 


432  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1775. 

ty's  Royal  will  and  pleasure,  when  your  Majesty 
will  be  pleased  to  receive  upon  the  throne  their 
humble  address,  remonstrance,  and  petition." 
To  this  the  King  replied,  "  You  will  please  to 
take  notice  that  I  will  receive  their  address,  re- 
monstrance, and  petition,  on  Friday  next  at  the 
levee."  Mr.  Sheriff  Plomer  then  said,  "  Your 
Majesty  will  permit  us  to  inform  you  that  the 
livery  in  Common-hall  assembled  have  resolved 
not  to  present  their  address,  remonstrance,  and 
petition,  unless  your  Majesty  shall  be  pleased  to 
receive  it  sitting  on  the  throne." 

The  King  answered  mildly,  but  with  dignity,  to 
this  reply  :  "  I  am  ever  ready  to  receive  addresses 
and  petitions:  but  I  am  the  judge  where." 

On  the  4th  of  July  the  Common-hall  met  at 
Guildhall,  when  the  Lord  Mayor  read  the  report 
of  the  Sheriffs,  and  added,  as  his  Majesty  did  not 
think  fit  to  receive  the  address  on  the  throne,  he 
(the  Mayor)  thought  it  his  duty  not  to  go  up  with 
it ;  and  humbly  submitted  the  further  proceedings 
to  the  consideration  of  the  livery ;  when  a  mem- 
ber expatiated  on  the  unanimity,  spirit,  and  perse- 
verance, which  "  at  that  critical  time"  ought  to 
influence  the  livery,  as  the  most  effectual  mode  of 
obtaining  what  they  called  redress.  This  person 
then  read  some  resolutions,  which  were  approved, 
and  ordered  to  be  presented  to  the  King ;  in  the 
mean  time  the  Common-hall,  or  somebody   for 


1775.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  433 

them,  caused  the  withdrawn  address  to  be  printed, 
in  which  were  loud  denunciations  against  the 
American  war,  strong  accusations  of  despotism, 
some  most  extraordinary  reasoning  about  arbitrary 
power,  the  unalterable  rights  of  human  nature,  in- 
vasion of  American  rights,  justification  of  Ameri- 
can resistance,  and  threats  against  ministers.  To 
enumerate  all  the  charges  against  that  cabinet, 
would  exceed  our  plan ;  but  it  is  deserving  of 
record  that  one  of  them  was  the  having  "  given 
their  sanction  to  popery." 

On  the  5th  the  Sheriffs  again  went  to  St.  James's, 
when  Mr.  Sheriff  Plomer  again  informed  his  Ma- 
jesty that  they  were  ordered  to  present  him  with 
some  resolutions  entered  into  by  the  Common- 
hall,  in  which,  after  claiming  the  right  of  pre- 
senting petitions  to  the  King  on  his  throne,  (not 
as  a  matter  of  grace  and  favour,)  the  Livery  very 
roundly  asserted  that  the  King's  previous  answer 
was  a  direct  denial  in  toto  of  the  right  of  the  court 
to  have  their  petitions  heard. 

In  all  this  there  seemed  to  be  a  juggle,  which 
perhaps  few  of  the  supporters  of  these  measures 
fully  understood.  That  the  subjects  have  a  right 
to  petition  is  a  clear  constitutional  axiom ;  but  the 
citizens  of  London  say,  "  That  the  King  is  bound 
to  hear  the  petitions  of  his  people.'1  Now  if  by 
the  word  "  hear"  is  generally  meant  that  the 
people  have  the  right  to  petition,  it  matters  little 

VOL.    I.  F    F 


434  GEORGE    THE   THIRD,  1775. 

whether  the  petition  is  spoken  to  the  King,  or 
presented  to  him  in  writing  ;  but  the  Common- 
hall  claimed  a  right  of  having  their  petitions  read 
to  the  King  upon  the  throne,  whereas  at  the  levee 
they  would  only  be  presented,  as  is  the  case  with 
all  other  petitions  generally  speaking;  from  whence 
it  follows,  that  if  the  London  resolution  is  literally 
correct,  every  other  body,  even  though  not  a  cor- 
poration, has  the  right  of  reading  their  petitions 
to  the  King,  or  else  the  Common-hall  claimed  a 
right  beyond  the  general  rights  of  the  constitu- 
tion. That  the  custom  had  been  and  still  is  for  the 
Corporation  to  present  petitions  to  the  throne 
is  true  ;  but  that  custom  is  only  a  local  right, 
and  therefore  the  resolution  ought  to  have  ex- 
pressed it :  but  here  the  general  right  of  petition- 
ing was  so  ingeniously  entwined  with  the  local 
right  or  custom  of  the  Corporation  of  London, 
mixing  up  with  it  the  claim  of  the  Livery,  that 
thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  actually  believed 
that  the  offer  of  his  Majesty  to  receive  the  peti- 
tion at  the  levee  fully  justified  the  resolution  that 
the  answer  was  a  denial,  and  "  that  such  denial 
renders  the  right  of  petitioning  the  throne,  recog- 
nized and  established  by  the  Revolution,  of  no 
effect. " 

Whether  the  Common-hall  have  or  have  not  a 
right  to  read  their  petitions  to  the  King,  is  fair 
matter  of  debate ;  but  surely  there   never  was  a 


1775.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  435 

more  erroneous  conclusion  than  that  the  offer  to 
receive  their  petition  at  the  levee,  as  is  done  with 
all,  or  almost  all,  other  petitions,  was  a  denial  of 
the  subjects'  right  generally.  To  these  resolutions 
the  King  returned  no  answer ;  but  a  few  days  af- 
terwards, to  an  address  from  the  Common-coun- 
cil, he  answered  that  he  was  always  ready  to  listen 
to  the  dutiful  petitions  of  his  subjects,  and  ever 
happy  to  comply  with  their  reasonable  requests  ; 
but  while  the  constitutional  authority  of  Britain 
was  openly  resisted  by  a  part  of  his  American  sub- 
jects, he  owed  it  to  the  rest  of  his  people,  of  whose 
zeal  and  fidelity  he  had  such  constant  proofs,  to 
continue  and  enforce  the  policy  then  pursued. 

On  the  7th  the  Corporation  of  London,  seem- 
ingly as  if  the  quarrel  with  the  American  Colonies 
arose  from  aggression  on  the  part  of  the  mother 
country,  thought  proper  to  present  an  address  to 
the  King,  praying  that  he  would  be  pleased  to 
cause  hostilities  to  cease  between  Great  Britain 
and  America,  and  to  adopt  such  measures  as 
would  restore  union,  confidence,  and  peace  over 
the  British  empire.  Some  considerable  debate 
arose  before  this  measure  was  carried,  but  at. 
length  it  was  very  respectfully  presented,  gra- 
ciously received,  and  answered,  but  certainly 
with  a  degree  of  forcible  reasoning  which  ought 
to  have  been  a  complete  reply  to  all  the  public 
clamour  of  the  time. 

F  f2 


430  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1775 

His  Majesty,  with  a  steady  dignity,  read  his 
reply,  which  was  justly  a  simple  confession  of  his 
faith  upon  this  subject ;  and  shewed  most  mani- 
festly that  the  country  was  placed  in  a  dilemma, 
and  must  either  prosecute  the  hostile  measures 
adopted,  or  at  once  throw  up  all  claims  of  sove- 
reignty over  the  Colonies,  a  measure  which  must 
have  been  instantly  followed  by  the  loss  of  the 
West  Indies,  and  indeed  of  all  footing  on  the 
American  continent. 

"  I  am  always,'1  said  the  Royal  answer,  "  ready 
to  listen  to  the  dutiful  petitions  of  my  subjects, 
and  ever  happy  to  comply  with  their  reasonable 
requests:  but  while  the  constitutional  authority 
of  this  kingdom  is  openly  resisted  by  a  part  of  my 
American  subjects,  I  owe  it  to  the  rest  of  my 
people,  of  whose  zeal  and  fidelity  I  have  had  such 
constant  proofs,  to  continue  and  enforce  those 
measures,  by  which  alone  their  rights  and  inte- 
rests can  be  asserted  and  maintained." 

The  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge  ap- 
pear to  have  thought  very  differently  from  the 
citizens  of  London  upon  this  subject;  for  they 
addressed  the  King  to  continue  the  war:  but  it 
was  now  out  of  his  power  to  do  otherwise ;  for 
hostilities  had  commenced,  and  the  Congress  of 
all  the  States  had  assembled,  and  although  they 
assumed  an  appearance  of  a  wish  for  conciliation, 


1775.  HIS    COURT,     AND    FAMILY.  437 

by  voting  an  address  to  the  King-,  or  rather  a  pe- 
tition, which  was  presented  by  Mr.  Penn,  pro- 
prietary governor  of  Pennsylvania,  yet  it  has  been 
well  ascertained  that  a  separation  from  the  mother 
country  was  the  secret  resolution  of  a  few  of  the 
leaders ;  and  this  it  was  which  offended  the  King- 
so  much,  that  he  returned  no  answer  to  the  peti- 
tion, evidently  considering  it  as  a  mere  ruse  de 
guerre  on  the  part  of  the  rebels  to  throw  the  blame 
upon  the  British  Government,  in  the  eyes  of  the 
prejudiced  and  miscalculating  in  England. 

An  extraordinary  circumstance  happened  about 
this  period,  which  some  of  the  historians  of  the 
time  seem  to  consider  as  a  mere  absurdity;  but 
when  we  consider  how  high  party  spirit  ran  at 
the  period,  when  we  reflect  on  the  very  inefficient 
state  of  the  police,  and  more  particularly  on  the 
fact  of  the  person  accused  being  an  American  by 
birth,  though  a  banker  in  London,  we  are  the 
more  disposed  to  give  credit  to  the  report  of  a 
conspiracy  being  then  on  foot  to  seize  the  person 
of  the  King,  and  to  convey  him  out  of  the  king- 
dom. The  banker  was  arrested  by  a  warrant  from 
Lord  Rochford,  secretary  of  state,  but  was  ad- 
mitted to  bail  before  Lord  Mansfield  ;  and  on  his 
recognizance  being  afterwards  discharged,  he  got 
a  verdict  of  1 000/.  damages  for  false  imprisonment, 
The  charge  was  first  made  by  Adjutant  Richard- 


438  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1776. 

son,  of  the  Guards ;  perhaps  prematurely,  before 
legal  proofs  could  be  collected.  If  so,  the  dis- 
covery put  a  stop  to  all  further  machinations. 

1776. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  the  Congress  threw  off 
their  absolute  allegiance  ;  as  they  then  issued  a 
declaration,  in  which  they  assigned  reasons  for 
withdrawing  that    allegiance  from    the  King  of 
Great  Britain.     In  this  paper  they  discarded  that 
constitutional  language  in  which  alone  complaints 
should  ever  be  expressed  by  loyal  British  sub- 
jects; and  directed  all  their  charges  in  unqualified 
terms  against  the  throne  itself.     They  no  longer 
complained  of  a  British  Parliament,  or  a  British 
Ministry,  but  of  a  British  King.     This  might  be 
agreeable  to  the  mere  form  of  a  declaration  of 
independence  ;  but  in  point  of  fact,  was  very  in- 
correct ;  for  though  many  persons  at  home  had 
been  and  were  even  then  advocates  for  concilia- 
tion, yet  certainly  the  popular  feeling  was  not  in 
favour  of  an  unlimited  grant   of  independence. 
Nay,  had  the  King  himself  even  expressed  a  wish 
to  save  bloodshed  by  an  absolute  grant  to  the 
Americans  of  their  full  and  entire  claims,  those 
who  remember  that  period  must  be  well  aware 
that  such  a  wish  would  have  been  as  unpopular 
as   unavailing.     At  this  moment,   a    number    of 
foreign  troops  were  engaged  in  our  service ;  and 


177G.  HIS    COU11T,    AND    FAMILY.  439 

on  the  4th  of  March  the  House  of  Commons 
addressed  the  King  relative  to  clothing  all  the 
troops,  in  British  pay,  with  British  manufactures. 
To  this  his  Majesty  most  graciously  replied,  that 
being  always  desirous  to  give  every  encourage- 
ment in  his  power  to  the  manufactures  of  Great 
Britain,  he  would  use  his  endeavours,  as  recom- 
mended by  their  address.* 

His  Majesty's  feelings  and  intentions  with  re- 
spect to  the  revolted  colonies,  cannot  be  better 
explained  than  in  his  answer  on  the  23d  of  March 
to  the  Address  and  Petition  of  the  Corporation  of 
London,  on  the  subject  of  that  contest;  when  the 
royal  answer  was — "  I  deplore,  with  the  deepest 
concern,  the  miseries  which  a  great  part  of  my 
subjects  in  America  have  brought  upon  them- 
selves by  an  unjustifiable  resistance  to  the  con- 

*  Beaumarchais,  better  known  as  a  literary  than  as  a  poli- 
tical character,  may  be  considered  as  one  of  the  chief  promoters 
of  the  cause  of  American  independence.  He  had  purchased  in 
Holland  not  fewer  than  60,000  muskets,  at  a  very  low  price, 
and  sold  them  again  upon  credit  to  American  agents.  The  sly 
author  of  Figaro  was  aware  that  if  the  Americans  should  fail  in 
their  attempt,  it  would  be  all  over  with  his  demand,  as  well  as 
with  their  liberty.  He  therefore  endeavoured,  by  all  possible 
means,  to  prevail  upon  the  minister  Count  Maurepas,  to  whom 
he  had  previously  gained  access,  and  whom  he  amused  with 
his  witty  sallies,  to  take  part  in  the  war;  and  it  was  he  chiefly 
who  decided  that  statesman  to  commence  hostilities  with  Great 
Britain. 


440  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  177C. 

stitutional  authority  of  this  kingdom ;  and  1  shall 
be  ready  and  happy  to  alleviate  those  miseries  by 
acts  of  mercy  and  clemency,  whenever  that  au- 
thority shall  be  established,  and  the  now  existing 
rebellion  at  an  end :  to  obtain  these  salutary 
purposes,  I  will  invariably  pursue  the  most  proper 
and  effectual  means." 

The  Queen  was  delivered  of  the  present  Duchess 
of  Gloucester  on  the  25th  of  April :  and  as  the  City 
of  London  addressed  his  Majesty  on  this  occasion 
in  a  different  style  from  their  usual  addresses, 
some  notice  of  that  style  will  not  be  out  of  place. 
After  offering  the  usual  congratulations,  they 
begged  leave  to  assure  him  that  there  were  not, 
in  all  his  dominions,  any  subjects  more  faithful, 
or  more  ready  to  maintain  the  true  honour  and 
dignity  of  the  crown. 

To  this  they  added,  that  they  would  continue 
to  rejoice  in  every  event  which  might  add  to  his 
Majesty's  domestic  felicity  ;  expressing  at  the 
same  time  a  hope  that  every  branch  of  the  august 
house  of  Brunswick  would  add  further  security  to 
those  sacred  laws  and  liberties,  which  their  an- 
cestors would  not  suffer  to  be  violated  with  im- 
punity; and  which,  in  consequence  of  the  glo- 
rious and  necessary  Revolution,  that  House  was 
called  on  to  defend. 

To  this  address  his  Majesty  answered,  that  he 
thanked  them  for  their  expression  of  duty  ;  add- 


HER    ROYA  L     I  :i  tGJ  'I  N  ESS 

M  A   R  Y  ,   ' 

Duchess  of  Gloucester, 

Born  April  25 :1J 70 


177G.  HIS    COURT,    AND     . •AMILY.  441 

ing — "  the  security  of  the  laws  and  liberties  of 
my  people  has  always  been,  and  ever  shall  be, 
the  chief  object  of  my  care  and  attention." 

A  new  expedition  was  set  on  foot  this  year  for 
exploring  the  possibility  of  a  north-west  passage  ; 
not  on  the  plan  of  former  voyages,  but  from  the 
Pacific  Ocean  into  the  North  Sea.  On  this  sub- 
ject the  King  felt  a  very  warm  interest ;  yet  such 
was  his  delicacy  in  regard  to  the  veteran  Cook, 
now  considered  as  resting  from  his  labours,  that 
he  would  not  permit  the  admiralty  to  ask  him  to 
take  the  command,  but  merely  to  take  his  opinion 
as  to  who  was  the  fittest  person  to  superintend 
this  important  research. 

This  was  no  sooner  done,  than  Captain  Cook 
instantly  offered  to  execute  his  Majesty's  wishes, 
and  his  offer  was  most  graciously  accepted  ;  the 
King  at  the  same  time  not  only  giving  orders  that 
every  comfort  should  be  supplied  to  the  daring 
navigators  themselves,  but  that  all  species  of  use- 
ful cattle,  poultry,  plants,  seeds,  and  utensils, 
should  be  provided  for  the  benefit  of  the  various 
lands  already  discovered,  and  which  might  now 
either  be  discovered  or  revisited. 

The  issue  of  this  is  well  known.  Cook  fell  a 
sacrifice  to  the  fury  of  the  Sandwich  Islanders,  in 
the  execution  of  what  he  conceived  both  duty 
and  policy:  and  his  Majesty  did  all  that  was  de- 
sired to  alleviate  the  sorrows  of  his  widow  and 


442  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1776. 

the  promotion  of  his  sons,  not  one  of  whom, 
nor  a  single  descendant  from  Cook,  is  now  in  ex- 
istence. 

It  was  in  June  this  year  that  the  complete 
change  already  alluded  to  took  place  in  the 
Prince's  household,  by  Lord  Bruce  retiring  from 
the  office  of  Governor,  in  which  he  was  succeeded 
by  the  Duke  of  Montague  ;  soon  after  which 
Dr.  Markham,  promoted  to  the  archbishoprick 
of  York,  gave  up  the  office  of  Preceptor  to 
Dr.  Iiurd;  Dr.  Cyril  Jackson  also  being  suc- 
ceeded by  Mr.  Arnald,*  tutor  of  St.  John's, 
Cambridge. 

It  has  been  said  that  this  change  was  occasioned 
by  the  King's  displeasure  at  Dr.  Markham ;  but 
this  is  not  very  probable,  when  we  consider  the 
high  promotion  given  to  him  immediately  after- 
wards.    Indeed,   his  interest  with  the  King  must 

*  Mr.  Arnald,  the  sub-preceptor,  was  a  person  of  most  pro- 
mising genius,  and  was  rewarded  with  a  canonry  at  Wind-or; 
but  his  mind  was  too  delicate  for  the  close  study  to  which  he 
addicted  himself,  and  he  died  insane  in  1802. 

During  the  progress  of  this  .unhappy  malady,  he  received 
great  attention  and  kindness  from  the  King,  who,  no  doubt,  fel1 
much  sympathy  for  this  amiable  man. 

Of  the  Duke  of  Montague  an  anecdote  is  related,  that  having 
attended  the  levee  for  the  first  time  after  a  visit  to  his  daughter's 
family  at  Dalkeith-house,  his  Majesty,  on  making  the  usual  com- 
pliments, inquired  of  the  Duke  about  the  health  of  his  grand- 
children. His  grace,  thanking  his  Majesty,  told  them  they  were 
all  well,  and   making  a  meal  of  oatmeal  pottage  every   day. 


1776.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  443 

have  been  very  strong ;  for  when  Mr.  Pitt  pro- 
mised the  first  vacancy  in  the  deanery  of  that  see 
to  Dr.  Clarke,  his  Majesty  told  him  it  could  not 
be,  as  he  himself  intended  it  for  the  eldest  son 
of  Dr.  Markham,  who  received  it  some  time  after- 
wards in  opposition  to  the  Premier's  interest. 

Nor  can  we  doubt  the  archbishop's  preceptorial 
abilities,  he  having  been  head-master  of  West- 
minster-School for  upwards  of  fourteen  years, 
the  duties  of  which  he  discharged  with  great  re- 
putation. 

The  King  this  year  manifested  his  high  feeling 
of  clerical  merit,  by  the  unsolicited  patronage 
bestowed  upon  the  venerable  Dr.  Porteus.  That 
respectable  clergyman  had  held  the  office  of  royal 
chaplain  since  the  year  1769,  and  now  on  the 
20th  of  December  he  kissed  his  Majesty's  hand, 
on  his  promotion  to  the  bench  of  bishops,  with 

His  Majesty  asked  if  they  got  good  oatmeal.  The  Duke  told  him 
they  had  it  excellent  from  Mr.  James  Mutter,  of  Middle  Mills, 
near  Laswade  ;  upon  which  his  Majesty  desired  the  Duke  to 
commission  some  for  him :  and  from  that  time  the  Roval 
Family  were  supplied  with  the  same  article  from  the  same 
mills. 

This  fully  marks  the  extreme  simplicity  with  which  the 
Royal  offspring  were  brought  up  at  a  period  when  luxury 
seems  to  have  pervaded  all  ranks  of  society,  from  infancy  to 
old  age.  It  also  forms  some  answer  to  those  who  would  prove 
the  distress  of  the  country  by  the  Poor  being  forced  to  eat 
oatmeal  instead  of  the  best  flour!. 


444  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1776. 

the  see  of  Chester ;  a  preferment,  says  his  bio- 
grapher, on  his  part  perfectly  unsolicited,  and  so 
entirely  unlooked  for,  that,  till  a  short  time  before 
it  happened,  he  had  not  the  smallest  expectation 
of  it.  Indeed  it  is  said  that  he  was  indebted  for 
it  to  the  Queen's  application. 

The  Royal  Family  now  became  more  frequent 
residents  at  Windsor,  where  they  were  on  the  12th 
of  August,  when  the  Prince  of  Wales's  birth-day 
was  observed  with  more  than  usual   solemnity. 
The    morning  having  commenced  with  firing  of 
guns,  ringing  of  bells,  &c.  the  royal  party  set 
out  at  ten  o'clock  in  procession  from  the  castle  to 
the  cathedral,  the  Princesses  following  their  royal 
parents,  and  after  them  the  Princes,  two  and  two. 
At  the  door  of  St.  George's  chapel  they  were  re- 
ceived  by  the  canons,  poor  knights,  &c.  when 
service  was  performed  to  a  most  courtly  assem- 
blage, after  which  the  whole  royal  family  mixed 
familiarly  with  crowds  of  happy  faces  upon  the 
terrace,  and  were  received  with  three  volleys  from 
the  25th  regiment,  drawn  up  in  the  park,  amidst 
the  loudest  acclamations  of  joy. 

Through  life  the  King  had  always  an  ardent  cu- 
riosity to  see  every  thing  remarkable  for  novelty, 
and  to  converse  with  those  who  were  noted  even 
for  their  peculiarities.  The  extreme  difference  be- 
tween his  own  rank  and  that  of  those  whom  he 
sometimes  patronized,  was  often  the  subject  of 


1770.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY".  445 

illiberal  and  ill-mannered  ridicule ;  but  the  follow- 
'mgjeud1 esprit,  which  appeared  in  the  St.  James's 
Chronicle  on  the  17th  of  December,  177G,  and 
which  Mr.  Nichols  attributes  to  the  witty  George 
Steevens,  deserves  to  be  recorded  : — 

"  Q 's  Palace. 

"  Sir, 

"  Politicians  from  this  place  inform  us  that  a 
new  favourite  has  lately  engrossed  the  K — -'s  at- 
tention, who  bids  fair  to  supplant  the  celebrated 
Pinchy  and   the  facetious  Grimaldi  in  the  royal 
favours.     It  is  no  less  a  person  than  the  old  deaf 
Moravian,  James  Hutton,   who  was  formerly  a 
bookseller,  and  lived  near  Temple-bar,   famous 
for  his  refusing  to  sell  Tom  Browne's  Works,  and 
Clarke  on  the  Trinity.    A  certain  lady  who  called 
at  his  shop  for  this  last  book,  was  induced  by 
curiosity  to  know  the  bookseller's  reasons  for  his 
refusal ;  but  whether  he  made  a  convert  of  the  lady, 
or  the  lady   of  him,  history  is  silent.     Since  that 
time  he  has  travelled  all  over  Germany  and  Swit- 
zerland, to  spread  the  Moravian  doctrine,  and  make 
proselvtes  to  Count  Zinzendorf's  creed.   Whether 
his  Majesty  intends  to  raise  Moravian  regiments 
by  Hutton's  means  among  the  faithful,  to  propagate 
the  ministerial  doctrine  of  unconditional  submis- 
sion in  America,  I  know  not ;  but  this  T  am  sure 
of,   that   a   conversation   between  the   King  and 


44G  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  177G. 

Hutton  must  be  exceedingly  entertaining:  Hntton 
is  so  deaf  that  a  speaking-trumpet  will  scarce 
make  him  hear ;  and  the  King  talks  so  fast  that 
an  ordinary  converser  cannot  possibly  keep  pace 
with  him.  Hutton's  asthma  makes  him  subject 
to  frequent  pauses  and  interruptions  ;  so  that  two 
interpreters  will  be  necessary  to  explain  matters 
between  the  King  and  his  new  favourite.  I  hope 
Hutton  and  the  Scotch  junto  are  upon  good  terms, 
else  he  will  soon  be  obliged  to  discontinue  his  vi- 
sits at  Buckingham-house.  After  all,  Hutton  is 
an  honest,  humane,  and  sensible  man,  and  worthy 
a  king's  regard;  and  however  bigotted  he  was 
formerly,  and  averse  to  selling  the  works  of  Samuel 
Clarke,  I  am  told  one  of  his  favourite  authors  at 
present  is  honest  Lawrence  Sterne,  author  of  Tris- 
tram Shandy. 

"  Current  Report." 

1  1777. 

We  have  seen  it  recorded  that  the  King  at  this 
period,  notwithstanding  his  political  anxieties, 
was  peculiarly  desirous  of  patronizing  literature, 
and  indeed  had  several  conversations  with  the 
late  Lord  Liverpool  on  this  subject,  respecting  the 
best  method  of  encouraging  literary  merit,  and 
the  most  liberal  but  economic  mode  of  executing 
the  plan  which  had  been  laid  before  him  for 
establishing  an   academy  in  imitation  of  that  at 


1777.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  447 

Paris,  but  uniting-  in  itself  the  various  objects  em- 
braced in  France  by  the  Academy  of  Sciences, 
and  also  that  of  Belles  Lettres. 

Lord  North,  who  was  then  understood  to  be 
very  desirous  of  seconding  his  Majesty's  wishes, 
to  render  his  reign  illustrious  by  patronizing  the 
agreeable  as  well  as  the  useful  arts,  proposed  that 
the  literary  order  of  merit,  without  salaries,  should 
forthwith  be  adopted :  but  the  King  is  said  to 
have  been  more  partial  to  the  plan  of  salaries,  as 
necessary  to  many  men  whose  ingenuity  would 
entitle  them  to  a  place,  but  whose  circumstances 
would  demand  a  pecuniary  reward. 

It  was  proposed  to  have  three  classes,  each  of 
ten  members,  with  salaries  of  2,  3,  and  400/. 
a  year,  adding  300/.  more  to  the  president  of 
each  class ;  but  the  increasing  national  expenses 
in  the  prosecution  of  the  war  seem  to  have  stifled 
the  plan  in  its  very  infancy.  The  idea  of  honours 
without  salary  was  well  exemplified  by  Gold- 
smith, who,  on  writing  to  a  friend  an  account  of 
his  appointment  as  Professor  of  History  to  the 
Royal  Academy,  compared  it  to  "  granting  ruffles 
without  a  shirt!" 

On  the  8th  of  May,  1777,  the  King  gave  the 
royal  assent  to  a  bill  granting  him  100,000/.  per 
annum  over  and  above  the  sum  of  800,000/.  which 
had  been  t  ettled  at  his  accession  as  the  amount 
of  the  civil  list.     This  arrangement  met  with  con- 


448  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1777. 

siderable  opposition  in  both  houses ;  and  in  the 
Peers  fourteen  members  signed  a  protest,  in 
which  they  recorded  their  dissent,  not  solely 
from  motives  of  economy,  but  from  a  dread  also 
of  the  effect  of  such  an  augmentation  on  the 
honour  and  integrity  of  Parliament,  by  vesting 
such  large  sums  without  account  in  the  hands 
of  ministers. 

They  further  asserted  that  an  opinion  was 
known  to  prevail,  and  which  they  had  no  means 
of  contradicting,  that  the  civil  list  revenues  were 
employed  in  creating  an  undue  influence  in  Par- 
liament ;  and  as  it  would  therefore  be  unbecoming 
in  them  to  vote  the  additional  sum  under  such 
circumstances,  they  begged  leave  to  represent  to 
his  Majesty,  that  the  proposed  increase  of  the 
overgrown  influence  of  the  Crown  would  be  a 
treacherous  gift  from  Parliament  even  to  the  Crown 
itself,  as  it  would  enable  ministers  to  carry  on 
what  the  protestors  considered  as  delusive  schemes,  ■ 
and  which  would  infallibly  tend  to  the  destruction 
of  the  empire. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  whilst  the  King  was  going 
to  the  theatre  in  the  Haymarket,  an  alarm  was 
excited  by  a  mad  woman,  who  broke  the  glass  of 
his  chair,  and  was  about  to  proceed  to  other  acts 
of  violence,  when  she  was  seized  by  the  attend- 
ants, and  placed  under  the  controul  of  the  peace 
officers. 


&HH  ESS 


|-\K  [NCESS     SOPHIA, 


1  I  I    :  ..(,,'■•«' 


1777.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  449 

It  was  on  the  27th  of  June  that  Dodd  met  his 
untimely  fate.  The  Queen's  feelings  were  on  this 
occasion  greatly  interested;  but  the  King  was  in- 
exorable— or  rather  "  conscientious,"  observing, 
that  "  the  crime  which  he  had  committed  was 
greater  in  a  clergyman  than  in  any  other  person." 

We  have  seen  it  stated  on  good  authority,  that 
Dodd  himself  observed  to  the  late  excellent  Mr. 
Latrobe,  on  the  night  preceding  his  execution, 
that  "the  King  was  humane;  but  justice  and 
love  to  the  nation  prevented  his  extending  mercy 
to  him."  He  begged,  therefore,  "  that  the 
King  and  his  counsellors  might  not  be  charged 
with  cruelty,"  and  prayed  most  fervently  on 
their  behalf.  The  doctor  acknowledged  that 
"  the  love  of  this  world"  had  led  him  astray,  and 
appeared  to  die  sincerely  penitent." 

Dr.  Dodd,  when  chaplain  in  ordinary  to  his  Ma- 
jesty, had  fallen  under  his  displeasure  in  conse- 
quence of  having  made  an  indecorous  venal  offer 
to  a  lady  of  distinction,  for  high  preferment  in 
the  church ;  in  consequence  of  which  the  King 
erased  his  name  from  the  list  of  his  chaplains. 

The  Princess  Sophia  was  born  on  the  3d  of 
November. 

1778. 

His  Majesty  now  seems  to  have  been  occupied 
in  making  arrangements  for  the  future  settlement 
of  his  numerous  family  :  and  on  the  8th  of  April, 

VOL.   I.  g  G 


450  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1778. 

1778,  he  sent  a  message  to  Parliament,  calling  on 
the  two  houses  to  enable  him  to  make  suitable 
provisions  for  his  younger  children,  out  of  the 
hereditary  revenues  of  the  crown,  which  could 
not  be  done  without  an  act  of  parliament  for  that 
purpose. 

This  proposal  went  to  the  settling  an  annuity  of 
60,000/.  on  the  six  younger  princes ;  of  50,000/. 
on  the  five  princesses,  and  of  12,000/.  on  the  pre- 
sent Duke  and  Princess  Sophia  of  Gloucester  ; 
but  these  annuities  were  only  to  take  effect,  in 
the  first  instance,  on  the  demise  of  his  Majesty  ; 
and  secondly,  on  the  demise  of  the  then  Duke  of 
Gloucester. 

The  message  was  received  with  good  will  by 
Parliament ;  and  a  bill  passed,  to  which  the  royal 
assent  was  soon  afterwards  given. 

The  King  was  much  occupied  this  year  with 
military  and  naval  reviews;  and  his  first  visit  was 
to  Chatham  on  the  24th  of  April,  whither  he  went 
accompanied  by  the  Earl  of  Sandwich,  then  first 
lord  of  the  admiralty.  He  chose  to  proceed  by 
water,  embarking  at  Greenwich  on  board  the 
Augusta  yacht,  in  which  he  went  clown  the  river, 
and  up  the  Medway,  arriving  at  the  dock-yard 
the  next  day,  where  he  was  received  amidst  a 
full  chorus  of  shipwrights,  singing  "  God  save  the 
King."  His  Majesty  then  landed,  and  made  a  par- 
tial survey  of  the  works,   but  did  not  take  up  his 


1778.  his  court,  Axn  family".  451 

residence  on  shore.  After  dining  on  board  the 
yacht,  he  again  proceeded  in  his  examination, 
going  over  every  thing  with  the  closest  inspection 
until  dark.  On  the  26th,  he  gave  up  some  time 
to  ceremonials ;  and,  after  reviewing  the  first 
Royals,  held  a  public  levee  at  the  house  of  the 
commissioner,  where  he  received  the  various  offi- 
cers, and  numbers  of  the  gentry  in  the  vicinage, 
together  with  the  Mayor  and  Corporation  of  Ro- 
chester, who  made  their  compliments,  and  were 
most  graciously  received. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  was  spent  in  a  minute 
examination  of  the  Victory ;  on  board  of  which 
ship  he  the  next  day  held  a  naval  levee,  attended 
by  all  the  captains  and  officers  of  the  ships  then 
fitting  out  at  Sheerness  and  lying  at  the  Nore. 
After  the  levee  his  Majesty  went  down  the  Med- 
way  in  his  barge  to  Sheerness,  where  he  landed 
in  the  dock-yard,  which  he  attentively  examined, 
visiting  the  docks,  the  batteries,  the  naval  and 
ordnance  storehouses,  &c. ;  and  at  noon  pulled  up 
the  river  in  his  barge  to  Blackstakes,  where  the 
yacht  had  arrived,  and  going  on  board  of  her  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Nore,  and  from  thence  to  Greenwich, 
-where  he  landed  at  midnight  on  his  way  to  town. 

His  second  naval  excursion  this  year  was  to 
Portsmouth ;  setting  off,  accompanied  by  the 
Queen,  on  the  2d  of  May.  On  their  arrival  at 
the  dock-yard,  they  were  received  with  all  due 

G   G  2 


452  GEORGE.    THE    THIRD,  1778. 

formalities,  passing  through  the  whole  body  of 
the  workmen,  who  saluted  them  with  the  heartiest 
cheers. 

On  the  next  day,  Sunday,  their  Majesties  at- 
tended divine  service  at  the  garrison  chapel, 
which  was  followed  by  a  public  levee,  at  which 
the  Queen  was  present,  though  none  but  gentle- 
men were  introduced. 

On  Monday,  whilst  the  Queen  paid  a  visit  to 
the  fleet  at  Spithead,  the  King  remained  for  some 
time  occupied  in  inspecting  the  ordnance  depart- 
ments, which  he  did  in  a  most  careful  and  official 
manner.  He  afterwards  proceeded  to  Spithead, 
and  was  rowed  in  his  barge  all  through  the  fleet, 
whilst  the  Queen  was  cruizing  in  one  of  the  royal 
yachts;  and  having  then  gone  on  board  the  Prince 
George,  he  saw  the  ship  cleared  for  action,  and 
the  exercise  of  the  guns  performed,  after  which  a 
naval  levee  was  held  in  due  form. 

The  Queen's  yacht  passing  whilst  he  was  on 
board  the  Prince  George,  she  was  received  by  a 
royal  salute  from  all  the  ships  in  the  fleet;  soon 
after  which  the  King  went  on  board  the  yacht  to 
dinner,  inviting  the  flag  and  general  officers,  &c. 
to  dine  with  him.  When  the  Queen's  health  was- 
drunk,  a  general  salute  was  fired  from  all  the 
ships ;  and  the  same  took  place  when  the  King 
drank  to  the  prosperity  of  the  navy,  and  to  all  his 
good  subjects  by  sea  and  land. 


1778.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.        453 

During  the  whole  of  this  superb  exhibition,  the 
day  was  remarkably  fine,  and  an  incredible  num- 
ber of  vessels,  pleasure  yachts,  and  boats,  at- 
tended their  Majesties.  On  their  return  in  the 
evening,  all  the  houses  in  the  three  towns  were 
most  brilliantly  illuminated,  a  compliment  at 
which  the  royal  tourists  expressed  great  satisfac- 
tion. The  two  succeeding  days  were  spent  in  a 
most  minute  examination  of  the  fortifications,  the 
rope  and  store-houses,  the  naval  academy,  and 
every  thing  connected  with  the  victualling  depart- 
ment, even  to  the  brewery  at  Weevil.  On  the  7th 
the  King  paid  a  visit  to  Stanstead,  the  seat  of 
Lord  Halifax,  and  afterwards  inspected  several 
ships  in  various  states  of  building  and  repair  ;  and 
the  ensuing  day  having  been  spent  in  a  cruize  on 
board  the  Princess  Augusta  to  St.  Helen's,  the 
Mother  Bank,  and  through  the  numerous  mer- 
chantmen lying  in  Stoke's  Bay,  the  royal  pair 
passed  once  more  through  the  fleet  at  Spithead  in 
the  evening,  where  they  received  a  parting  salute 
from  every  ship,  and  also  from  all  the  batteries 
around ;  they  then  landed  at  the  dock-yard,  re- 
ceiving a  parting  cheer  from  all  the  assembled 
workmen,  and  returned  to  the  Queen's  house 
much  pleased  with  their  excursion. 

His  Majesty  still  continued  his  personal  atten- 
tions to  the  school  at  Eton;  and  on  the  27th  of 
July  he  went  thither  accompanied  by  the  Queen, 


454  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1778. 

several  of  the  princes,  and  a  long  train  of  nobility, 
in  order  to  hear  the  speeches  of  the  young  gentle- 
men educated  there.  On  this  occasion  the  pre- 
sent Marquis  Wellesley  particularly  distinguished 
himself  by  the  delivery  of  Lord  Strafford's  speech 
before  execution ;  and  literally  drew  tears  from 
the  whole  audience.  * 

As  the  style  of  royal  living  was  of  the  most 
domesticated  kind,  so  were  the  King's  manners 
and  appearance  equally  unostentatious.  It  was 
now  his  frequent  practice  to  wander  about  the  en- 
virons of  Windsor,  totally  unattended  and  accom- 
panied only  by  the  Prince ;  and  on  one  of  those 
occasions  he  happened  to  meet  a  farmer's  carter 
passing  on  towards  Windsor  with  a  load  of  hay, 
when  by  some  accident  the  cart  was  caught  in  a 
deep  rut,  and  the  rustic  was  totally  unable  to 
move  it.  The  royal  ramblers,  regardless  of  eti- 
quette, instantly  rushed  forward  to  assist  him ; 
and  having  succeeded  in  extricating  the  cart, 
though  with  considerable  difficulty,  honest  John, 
with  a  heart  overflowing  with  gratitude,  express- 
ed  his  thanks,  and  hoped  they  would  take  a 
daught  of  ale  with  him  at  the  next  house,  offer- 
ing them  at  the  same  time  a  seat  upon  his  cart. 

*  On  the  Prince's  birth-day  the  Royal  Family  paid  a  visit  to 
the  Duchess  of  Portland,  at  Bulstrode — for  a  long  and  very  in-? 
teresting  account  of  which  we  must  refer  to  the  Letters  of  Mrs, 
Delany. 


1778.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  455 

This  civil  offer  was  declined ;  but  the  King  slip- 
ped a  guinea  into  his  hand,  which  sum  was  doubled 
by  the  generous  warmth  of  youth  on  the  part  of 
the  Prince,  and  the  rustic  jogged  on  with  a  suf- 
ficient portion  of  wonder  to  induce  him  to  men- 
tion his  good  luck  at  the  public  house,  when  he 
learnt  that  his  benefactors  were  the  first  two  in 
the  nation.  To  convince  him  of  this  was  however 
rather  difficult ;  as  he  could  not  understand  how 
the  Prince  should  give  him  two  guineas,  whilst 
the  royal  bounty  was  confined  to  one  :  but  the 
story  got  vent,  and  soon  reached  the  ears  of  his 
Majesty,  who  was  highly  amused  by  it.  It  hap- 
pened however  that  in  the  following  week  the 
King  met  the  same  man  again  upon  the  road,  and 
stopping  him  said,  "  Well,  my  friend,  I  find  you 
were  dissatisfied  with  the  smallness  of  my  pre- 
sent, and  thought  the  son  more  munificent  than 
the  father— but  remember  that  I  must  be  just  be- 
fore I  am  generous.  My  son  has  only  himself  to 
think  about,  whilst  I  have  not  only  to  take  care  of 
my  own  family,  but  to  have  regard  to  the  wel- 
fare of  millions,  who  look  to  me  for  that  protec- 
tion which  your  own  children  at  home  expect 
and  demand  from  you;  go  home,  and  be  con- 
tent." 

The  autumn  was  dedicated  to  military  reviews, 
the  first  of  which  took  place  at  Winchester,  whi- 
ther the  royal  party   set  off  on  the  28th  of  Sep- 


456  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1778 

tember,  from  Windsor  Castle.  During  their  stay 
at  Winchester,  the  King  and  Queen  held  regular 
levees,  mixing  much  with  the  public,  and  dining 
in  the  field  on  the  days  of  the  reviews. 

After  visiting  every  thing  curious,  and  being 
received  at  the  College  by  a  Latin  speech  from  a 
Mr.  Chamberlayne,  and  an  English  one  from  the 
young  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  they  set  off  for  Salis- 
bury, but  previously  left  a  very  handsome  dona- 
tion for  the  poor,  for  the  debtors  in  the  prisons, 
and  for  other  charitable  purposes. 

A  whimsical  circumstance  happened  to  Gar- 
rick  (as  stated  by  Mr.  Northcote),  who  being 
then  at  Winchester,  and  anxious  to  shew  himself 
in  the  royal  cortege,  had  stationed  himself  on 
horseback  near  to  his  Majesty.  Having  occa- 
sion to  dismount,  his  horse  escaped  from  his  hold, 
and  ran  off,  when,  throwing  himself  immediately 
into  his  professional  attitude,  he  cried  out  with 
much  humour,  as  if  in  Bosworth-field,  "  A  horse! 
a  horse  !  my  kingdom  for  a  horse  ! "  This  royal 
exclamation  did  not  escape  the  royal  ear,  whilst 
it  excited  great  amazement  amongst  the  surround- 
ing spectators,  who  knew  not  the  quality  of  the 
actor;  when  the  King  exclaimed,  "  These  must 
be  the  tones  of  Garrick !  See  if  he  is  not  on  the 
ground."  The  theatrical  and  dismounted  monarch 
was  immediately  brought  to  his  Majesty,  who  not 
only  condoled  with  him  most  good-humouredly, 


1778.  HIS    COUKT,    AND    FAMILY.  457 

but  also  most  flatteringly  added,  that  his  delivery 
of  Shakespeare  could  never  pass  undiscovered. 

At  Salisbury  they  were  received  with  all  clerical 
honours  ;  they  afterwards  visited  Lord  Pembroke's 
elegant  mansion  at  Wilton,  the  Duke  of  Queens- 
berry's  at  Amesbury,  and  the  venerable  mass 
of  Stonehenge,  which  they  examined  very  at- 
tentively, seeming  to  feel  and  to  enjoy  all  the 
interest  which  such  a  scene  can  excite  in  the 
breast  of  the  philosophical  inquirer. 

Soon  after  their  return  from  the  Wiltshire  excur- 
sion, the  King  and  Queen  set  off  for  an  examina- 
tion of  the  camp  at  Warley  in  Essex,  fixing  their 
head-quarters  at  Lord  Petre's  at  Thornden  Place. 
To  detail  all  the  particulars  of  this  scene  is 
needless  ;  but  the  magnificence  with  which  the 
noble  peer  received  his  royal  guests,  may  be  in- 
ferred from  the  expenses  of  three  days,  which  ac- 
tually amounted  to  12,000/. 

On  the22d  of  November  their  Majesties  set  off 
for  a  military  excursion  in  Kent,  taking  up  their 
abode  at  Lord  Amherst's  seat,  Montreal,  on  their 
way  to  Coxheath,  where  the  King  reviewed  the 
troops  encamped,  and  then  proceeded  to  Leeds 
Castle,  near  Maidstone,  where  he  dined  and  re- 
ceived an  address  from  the  corporation  of  that 
ancient  town. 
.  But  the  King's  attention  in  these  military  excur- 


458  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1778. 

sions  was  not  confined  to  that  object  solely;  for 
he  made  it  a  constant  rule  to  inquire  into  the 
state  of  pauperism  in  almost  every  parish  through 
which  he  passed,  both  he  and  the  Queen  leaving 
sums  of  money  for  relief;  and  at  Maidstone,  in 
particular,  he  directed  a  return  and  statement  of 
all  the  persons  confined  for  debt  in  the  prisons,  in 
order  that  such  of  them  as  might  appear  real  ob- 
jects of  royal  bounty  should  be  enlarged,  from  his 
privy  purse. 

These  facts  soon  became  generally  known  ;  and 
the  enthusiasm  with  which  the  royal  pair  were 
every  where  received  was  most  gratifying.  In 
short,  they  returned  to  the  Queen's  house,  fol- 
lowed by  the  prayers  and  good  wishes  of  the 
whole  county. 

The  earnestness  with  which  his  Majesty  entered 
into  all  these  military  and  naval  details,  was  per- 
fectly in  unison  with,  and  indeed  seemed  to  arise 
from,  his  determination  as  expressed  in  the  mes- 
sage to  Parliament  a  few  months  before,  when  he 
notified  his  orders  to  the  British  ambassador  to 
quit  the  court  of  France  ;  a  message  which  he  con- 
cluded with  assuring  them,  that  relying  with  the 
firmest  confidence  in  the  zealous  and  affectionate 
support  of  his  faithful  people,  he  was  determined 
to  be  prepared  to  exert,  if  it  should  become  neces- 
sary, all  the  force  and  resources  of  his  kingdoms ; 


1778.  HIS    COUIIT,    AND    FAMILY.  459 

which  he  trusted  would  be  found  adequate  to  repel 
every  insult  and  attack,  and  to  maintain  and  uphold 
the  power  and  reputation  of  this  country. 

Much  was  said  during  this  period  about  back- 
stairs influence;  and,  though  the  Princess  Dow- 
ager was  dead,  it  was  loudly  asserted,  and 
believed  by  many,  that  Lord  Bute  still  guided 
the  King's  mind  in  regard  to  the  line  of  politics 
now  pursued,  so  that  the  ostensible  ministers 
were  merely  the  puppets  of  a  hidden  favourite : 
but  a  transaction  which  took  place  in  the  month 
of  January  this  year,  in  regard  to  a  change  of 
ministry,  wherein  it  was  intended  to  offer  place 
and  power  to  his  lordship,  proves  to  a  demon- 
stration that  these  suspicions  of  private  influence 
were  unfounded. 

Sir  James  Wright  was  a  great  admirer  of  Lord 
Bute,  and  was  supposed  generally  to  be  on  terms 
of  intimate  friendship  with  him  ;  and  being  so  ill 
as  to  require  medical  aid,  was  attended  by  Dr. 
Addington,  the  father  of  the  present  Lord  Sid- 
mouth,  equally  an  admirer  of  Lord  Chatham  both 
as  a  man  and  a  minister.  Dr.  Addington  con- 
ceived that  Lord  Chatham  was  the  only  man 
qualified  to  extricate  the  nation  from  its  existing 
difficulties,  but  also  felt  that  the  only  probable 
means  of  bringing  him  into  power  must  be  by 
forming  a  coalition  between  the  two  ex-ministers. 
In  the  course  of  his  visits  he  took  several  oppor- 


460  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1778. 

tunities  of  expressing  his  sentiments  on  the  sub- 
ject ;  and  it  is  positively  asserted  by  a  confidential 
friend  of  Lord  Bute's,  that  both  the  physician  and 
his  patient  regretting  that  their  patrons  could  not 
unite  for  the  good  of  the  nation,  Dr.  Addington 
actually  spoke  on  the  subject  to  Lord  Chatham, 
who  repeated  the  expressions  of  the  particular 
value  he  had  for  Lord  Bute,  and  his  desire  to  do 
all  in  his  power  to  save  the  nation  from  the  immi- 
nent danger  in  which  it  was  placed. 

The  worthy  doctor  took  the  earliest  opportunity 
of  relating  this  conversation  to  his  patient,  who 
acquainted  Lord  Bute,  and  his  lordship  replied 
that  Lord  Chatham  would  always  find  him  dis- 
posed  to  concur  with  him  in  the  efforts  which  he 
might  make  to  serve  the  King  and  the  nation ; 
and  that  if  he  knew  Lord  North,  he  would  advise 
him  to  prevail  on  his  Majesty  to  avail  himself  of 
the  services  of  Lord  Chatham,  and  to  give  him  a 
share  of  his  confidence. 

Lord  Chatham,  being  informed  of  this,  is  said 
to  have  understood  by  the  phrase,  "  concur  with 
him,"  that  Lord  Bute  still  preserved  some  of  his 
influence  with  the  King  ;  and  he  was  therefore 
eager  to  have  him  informed  that  it  was  necessary, 
without  delay,  to  form  a  new  ministry,  for  quiet- 
ing the  Americans  as  well  as  the  British  nation  ; 
and  he  talked  of  nothing  less  than  a  total  change 
of  administration. 


1778.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  4G1 

Dr.  Addington  had  also  persuaded  Lord  Chatham 
to  propose  to  Lord  Bute  an  interview,  in  order  to 
concert  measures ;  and  he  was  the  bearer  of 
this  proposal  through  the  channel  of  Sir  James : 
but  Lord  Bute,  greatly  surprised  that  matters  had 
gone  so  far,  and  that  the  general  terms  he  had 
made  use  of  in  speaking  of  the  disastrous  state  of 
affairs,  had  been  so  misunderstood,  lost  no  time 
in  dictating  to  Sir  James  Wright  such  a  letter  as 
might  be  shewn  to  Lord  Chatham,  the  substance 
of  which  was,  that  he  had  entirely  lost  sight  of 
public  affairs,  and  that  he  had  for  ever  given  up 
all  thoughts  of  taking  any  part  in  them.  He  added 
that  several  years  had  passed  since  he  had  seen 
the  King ;  that  consequently  he  could  not  be  of 
any  use  to  Lord  Chatham ;  and  he  concluded  by 
declining  the  proposed  interview. 

Such  is  declared  to  be  the  true  state  of  an  affair 
of  which  numerous  versions  were  given — that  there 
was  a  contradiction  between  the  letter  and  the 
message — that  Lord  Bute  accepted  the  offered 
assistance  to  overturn  the  ministry;  but  held 
back  on  finding  that  Lord  Chatham  intended  to 
exclude  him  from  office — in  short,  a  thousand 
contradictory  reports  were  spread,  which  we  must 
now  leave  to  oblivion. 

It  is  a  most  curious  fact  that  in  the  account 
drawn  up  under  the  sanction  of  Dr.  Addington,  it 
is  stated  that  Sir  James  Wright  actually  asserted 


462  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1778. 

that  the  Lords  Bute  and  Chatham  were   the   two 
men  whom  the  King  hated  most ! 

It  is  proper  to  remark  also,  that  Sir  James 
Wright  published  a  counter-statement,  in  which 
he  denied  Dr.  Addington's  account  almost  in 
toto ;  but  as  this  does  not  relate  personally  to  the 
King  himself,  we  must  refer  the  curious  reader 
to  the  "  Gentleman's  Magazine"  for  1778,  p.  445 
et  seq:  also  id.  516. 

The  King  was  personally  friendly  to  the  mea- 
sures taken  at  this  period  for  the  amelioration  of 
the  Commerce  of  Ireland,  by  the  grant  of  a  "  Free 
Trade,"  as  it  was  called ;  a  grant  indeed  which 
was  claimed  by  the  Irish  in  a  manner  too  strong 
to  be  resisted  in  the  then  circumstances  of  the 
empire.  Yet  such  were  the  strong  prejudices 
existing  in  England  against  it,  that  no  minister, 
under  other  circumstances  than  those  connected 
with  the  state  of  Ireland,  would  have  ventured  to 
propose  such  a  concession. 

Subsequent  events  have  indeed  proved  the  real 
wisdom  of  the  measure  on  its  own  intrinsic  merits ; 
independent  of  the  political  prudence  which  thus 
avoided  a  breach  between  the  two  countries,  in 
which  both  must  have  suffered,  and  Ireland,  at 
least,  been  totally  ruined. 

Without  entering  into  the  debates  of  the  period, 
we  cannot  help  recording  one  whimsical  circum- 
stance that  occurred  in  regard  to  a  bill  brought 


1778.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  4G3 

i 

into  the  House  of  Commons  to  permit  the  impor- 
tation of  sail-cloth  from  the  sister  island.  On 
this  occasion  a  most  extravagant  clamour  was 
excited ;  petitions  poured  in  from  all  quarters 
until  the  table  of  the  house  was  covered,  stating 
that  it  must  be  ruinous  in  the  extreme  to  England; 
yet,  strange  as  it  may  appear,  it  was  at  length 
found  out  that  such  importation  was  already  esta- 
blished by  a  law  of  long  standing,  and  the  politi- 
cal bugbear  vanished  in  fumo. 

The  Catholic  demands  about  this  period  began 
to  shew  themselves ;  and  to  that  we  must  refer 
the  extraordinary  circumstance,  on  the  King's 
birth-day,  of  a  form  of  prayer  for  the  Sovereign 
and  his  family  being  read  in  all  the  Roman 
Catholic  chapels  throughout  the  kingdom. 

Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  having  this  year  published 
his  Seven  Discourses  as  President  of  the  Royal 
Academy,  dedicated  them  with  great  propriety 
to  his  Majesty,  and  that  in  a  style  so  judicious 
that  it  was  aptly  said  to  be  a  model  to  dedica- 
tors, and  a  hint  both  to  writers  and  painters,  that 
a  portrait  may  be  well  drawn  without  being- 
varnished,  and  highly  coloured  without  being 
daubed. 

In  this  dedication  it  was  justly  observed,  that 
although  his  predecessors  had  established  marts 
for  manufactures,  and  colleges  for  science,  yet  for 
the  arts  of  elegance,  those  arts  by  which  manufac- 


4G4  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1778-9. 

tures  are  improved  and  science  refined,  to  found 
an  academy  was  reserved  for  his  Majesty. 

Notwithstanding  the  King's  apparent  neglect 
of  Reynolds  as  an  artist,  yet  he  never  failed  in 
paying  him  that  marked  graciousness  which  the 
world  naturally  expected,  whenever  any  personal 
intercourse  took  place  ;  as  was  manifested  most 
particularly  at  the  King's  visit  to  the  encampment 
at  Winchester,  Sir  Joshua  at  that  time  being  on 
a  visit  to  Dr.  Warton  at  Winchester  College. 

In  his  ardour  to  encourage  every  branch  of 
science,  his  Majesty  this  year  had  a  most  mag- 
nificent collection  of  fossils  purchased  for  him  in 
Italy. 

1779. 

The  Royal  Family  met  with  an  addition  this 
year,  on  the  28th  of  February,  in  the  birth  of 
Prince  Octavius ;  which  was  followed  by  the  cus- 
tomary addresses,  and  well-timed  declarations  of 
loyalty. 

The  situation  of  this  country  in  the  year  1779, 
was  certainly  very  critical.  At  home  much  dis- 
content prevailed  :  the  navy  was  torn  by  political 
parties,  and  the  combined  fleets  were  almost  tri- 
umphant ;  our  armies  were  wasting  in  inactivity 
upon  the  American  Continent ;  our  colonies  were 
captured  or  menaced  by  the  enemy;  commerce 
was  perishing  or  intercepted ;  and  ministers 
seemed  to  have  lost  the  confidence  both  of  Par- 


1779.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  405 

liament  and  of  the  people  !     Yet  his  Majesty  was 
undaunted  and  resolute.     Many  called  him  obsti- 
nate ;   but  he  knew  that  he  was  struggling  for  the 
rights  of  his  people,  for  the  power  of  parliament, 
and  for  the  prerogatives  of  the  British  Crown.   He 
felt  both  as  a  man  and  a  monarch  ;  and,  if  he  was 
in  error  respecting  the  commencement  of  the  war, 
it  was  an  error  in  which  he  had  been  supported 
by  the   opinions  of  the  majority  of  his  subjects 
at  home,  but  who  now  changed  their  opinions  in 
consequence  of  sinister  events :    but  here  let  us 
remark,  that  the  general  despondency  might  thus 
have  sealed  the  downfall  of  the  empire,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  unshaken  demeanour  of  the  King 
himself.     He  shrunk  from  all  negotiation  in  the 
moment  of  national  dismay  ;  and  boldly  resolved 
to  stem  the  torrent,  and  resolutely  to  call  forth  the 
strength  of  the  nation,  and  to  fight  for  honourable, 
if  not  for  advantageous  terms.     In  doing  this,  he 
must  have  been  well  aware  of  the  farther  shock 
that  would  be  given  to  his  own  popularity ;  but 
no  private  feeling  could  weigh  with  him,  when 
put  in  competition  with  his  people's  welfare ;  and 
he  resolutely  fought  on  in  hopes  of  better  times  : 
in  despite  even  of  the  Spanish  war,  that  nation 
being  then  added  to  our  enemies. 

At  this  period  the  King,  always  fond  of  music, 
was  a  constant  attendant  at  the  oratorios  at  Drury 
Lane  theatre,  where,  during  this  season,  "Alex- 

VOL.   I.  H   H 


4f)G  Gl.OkGE    THE    THIRD,  1779 

ander's  Feast"  had  been  repeated  every  night, 
much  to  his  Majesty's  satisfaction  as  an  admirer 
of  Handel,  and  then  a  subject  particularly  appli- 
cable to,  and  replete  with  enjoyment  to  royal 
feelings.  On  one  of  these  occasions,  whilst  the 
glowing  and  animating  air — 

"  The  Princes  applaud  with  a  furious  joy, 

And  the  King  seized  a  flambeau  with  zeal  to  destroy" — 

was  performing,  his  Majesty,  as  if  suddenly 
struck  with  the  coincidence  of  some  ideas  con- 
nected with  the  American  war,  and  with  the  mili- 
tary aid  which  he  was  then  expecting  from 
Germany,  rolled  up  his  book  of  the  oratorio  into 
a  truncheon,  starting  up  at  the  same  time,  and 
flourishing  it  over  his  head,  whilst  he  loudly  cried 
out,  "Bravo!  bravo!  encore!  encore!"  to  the 
great  surprise  of  the  audience,  before  whom  it  had 
always  been  his  habit  to  repress  his  feelings  with 
a  dignified  composure.  Here,  however,  the  feel- 
ings of  the  man  overcame  the  punctilio  of  regal 
etiquette. 

Amidst  all  the  bustle  of  warfare  and  of  political 
contention,  his  Majesty  was  by  no  means  inatten- 
tive to  the  amelioration  of  many  errors  in  our 
domestic  arrangements,  particularly  with  regard 
to  prisons  and  the  state  of  public  morals,  then 
brought  into  more  public  notice  by  the  exertions 
of  the  philanthropic  Howard. 

That   gentleman  was  no  candidate    for  court 


1779.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  467 

favours ;  but  the  King  was  not  the  less  sensible  of 
his  merit;  and,  when  the  act  passed  for  establish- 
ing penitentiary  houses,  on  which  much  labour 
and  thought  had  been  bestowed  by  men  of  great 
ability  in  1779,  he,  with  the  general  approbation 
of  the  kingdom,  turned  his  eyes  upon  Mr.  Howard 
as  the  first  person  whose  services  should  be  en- 
gaged as  one  of  the  three  supervisors  appointed 
to  carry  that  act  into  execution. 

Howard's  modesty  and  extreme  delicacy  with 
regard  to  any  thing  like  private  emolument  from 
public  services,  a  moderate  salary  being  annexed 
to  the  office,  rendered  him  unwilling  to  undertake 
the  appointment;  but  the  King,  it  is  said,  inte- 
rested himself  so  much  upon  the  subject,  that  the 
late  Sir  William  Blackstone  was  induced,  at  his 
Majesty's  particular  request,  to  represent  to  him 
the  propriety  of  his  acceptance  of  the  situation, 
along  with  such  confidential  friends  as  he  himself 
should  nominate.  He  consented  to  undertake  the 
duty,  his  Majesty  instantly  approving  of  his  choice 
of  Dr.  Fothergill,  and  Mr.  Whately,  treasurer  of 
the  Foundling  Hospital.  But  the  death  of  Fother- 
gill, in  1780,  induced  Howard  to  resign,  to  the 
great  regret  of  the  King,  who  had,  throughout, 
been  the  active  patron  of  that  very  important 
measure. 

A  whimsical  and  well-authenticated  anecdote  is 
told  of  the  King  this  year,  something  similar  to 

h  h  2 


468  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1779. 

one  which  happened    to    his    great   predecessor 
Alfred.     Riding  one  day  in  the  vicinity  of  Wind- 
sor, he  was  overtaken  by  a  violent  storm  of  rain ; 
and  being  then  separated  from  his  attendants,  as 
returning  from  a  hunt,   he  made  towards  a  farm- 
house, or  rather  a  cottage,  belonging  to  a  peasant 
named  Stiles,  near  to  Stoke.  There  he  dismounted, 
and  going  into  the  house,  found  a  girl  turning  a 
goose,  which  hung  before  the  fire  by  a  string.  His 
Majesty  desired  the  girl  to  put  his  horse  under 
the   shed,  which  she  consented   to,  but   at   the 
same  time  requested   him    to    mind   the   goose. 
This  he  did  ;  and   whilst   the  girl  was  out,  the 
farmer  returned,  and  felt  much  astonished  to  see 
his  Sovereign,  whom  he  knew  by  sight,  thus  do- 
mestically employed.    He,  however,  had  presence 
of  mind  to  relieve  the  King  without  appearing  em- 
barrassed, or  seeming  to  recognize  him  ;  and  on 
the  return  of  his  daughter,  he  went  to  rub  down 
the  horse,  while  his  Majesty  remained  in  the  house 
awaiting  the  cessation  of  the  shower,  conversing 
with  his  usual  good-nature  on  this  mode  of  cook- 
ery and  the  advantages  of  a  jack ;  soon  after  which, 
the  weather  clearing  up,  he  mounted  and  rode 
away.     When  he  was  gone,  the  farmer  perceived 
a  paper  on  the  shelf,  and  having  opened  it,  found 
in  it  five  guineas,   with  these    words  written  in 
pencil,  "  To  buy  a  jack." 


1780.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  469 

1780. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  riots,  Lord  North 
was  advised  by  Sir  John  Macpherson  to  endea- 
vour to  effect  a  junction,  or  to  open  some  com- 
munication, with  the  heads  of  Opposition,  for  the 
purpose  of  stemming  the  torrent ;  but  his  lordship 
declared  that  he  thought  such  a  measure  imprac- 
ticable.*  A  temporary  coalition  did  however  take 

*  It  is  unnecessary  to  enter  into  all  the  particulars  of  these 
events,  or  to  notice  their  causes  further  than  to  say  they  arose 
from  objections  to  the  toleration  and  relief  from  penalties  then 
granted  to  the  Roman  Catholics. 

We  certainly  cannot  agree  with  modern  demands  arising  out 
of  those  grants;  but  we  feel  that  no  real  objection  ought  to  be 
made  to  what  was  then  given;  and  we  allow  all  due  praise  to 
Sir  George  Saville,  whose  last  public  service  in  Parliament  was 
his  procuring  an  act  in  favour  of  the  Roman  Catholics  of  this 
kingdom,  entitled  "  An  Act  for  relieving  his  Majesty's  subjects 
professing  the  Popish  religion  from  certain  penalties  and  disa- 
bilities imposed  on  them  by  an  Act  made  in  the  eleventh  and 
twelfth  years  of  the  reign  of  William  the  Third." 

The  nature  of  this  last  act,  which  Sir  George's  humanity  has 
happily  obliterated  from  our  statute-books,  punished  the  cele- 
bration of  the  mass  with  perpetual  imprisonment :  the  keeping 
a  Catholic  school  was  subject  to  the  same  punishment;  whilst 
every  Roman  Catholic  was,  under  the  same  act,  to  forfeit  his 
estate  to  his  nearest  Protestant  relation.  Yet  such  was  the 
bigotry  and  superstition  of  a  number  of  misguided  people  out 
of  doors,  called  "  The  Associated  Protestants,"  that  they  re- 
sented this  act  of  humanity  by  the  most  daring  acts  of  barbarity 
and  devastation. 


470  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1780. 

place  between  him  and  Mr.  Fox,  a  day  or  two 
afterwards,  the  interview  being  held  in  the  fore- 
noon, behind  the  scenes  of  the  Opera-house.  The 
result  of  that  conversation  is  not  generally  known  ; 
but  the  other  members  of  Opposition,  particularly 
the  Marquis  of  Rockingham,  displayed  some  anxi- 
ety to  take  an  active  part;  and  on  the  7th  of  June, 

In  the  scene  of  riot  and  confusion  which  the  passing  this  bill 
created,  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  mover  and  framer 
of  it  could  pass  unnoticed.  Sir  George  Saville's  house  was 
accordingly  one  of  the  first  marked  out  for  devastation,  which 
the  mob  in  a  great  measure  effected  by  breaking  several  of  the 
windows,  and  by  frequent  attempts  to  set  it  on  fire,  which  they 
would  have  accomplished  but  for  the  interference  of  his  nume- 
rous friends,  who  rallied  round  him  in  this  hour  of  difficulty 
and  danger. 

The  coolness  of  his  temper  was  truly  exemplary  amidst  all 
this  tumult;  no  unmanly  complaints  against  the  ingratitude  of 
the  public,  no  self-condemnation  for  his  original  interference 
in  the  business.  The  consciousness  of  having  done  his  duty  was 
indeed  his  murus  aheneus,  and  with  this  defence  he  composed 
himself  with  all  the  philosophy  of  a  Christian,  and  with  all  the 
becoming  prudence  of  self-preservation.  The  following  little 
circumstance  will  help  to  elucidate  this  last  observation. 

On  that  night  when  the  mob  was  most  riotous,  a  number  of 
Sir  George's  friends  insisted  on  sitting  up  with  him,  for  the  bet- 
ter protection  of  his  person  and  family  ;  it  was  likewise  agreed 
amongst  them,  that  parties  should  sally  out  from  time  to  time, 
to  make  such  reports  as  circumstances  would  present.  On  the 
giving  in  of  those  reports,  it  was  observable  that  scarcely  two 
accounts  agreed,  one  making  the  danger  less,  another  greater, 
and  so  on  ;  upon  which  Sir  George,  with  great  composure,  made 
the  following  observation  :    "  Here,  gentlemen,"  says  he,  "  is 


1780.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  471 

when  the  King  in  person  presided  at  a  privy 
council,  to  which  all  who  had  a  right  to  sit  were 
summoned,  that  nobleman  is  stated  to  have  made 
his  appearance  in  great  agitation,  his  hair  in  dis- 
order, and  his  whole  person  in  complete  disha- 
bille. Taking  his  seat  at  the  council-table,  he  in- 
stantly began  to  accuse  ministers  of  negligence  in 

a  fine  lesson  for  an  historian:  we  have  a  fact  of  the  day  before 
us,  reported  by  men  of  integrity  and  abilities,  anxious  to  search 
for  truth,  and  willing  to  record  it  with  as  much  circumstance 
and  minuteness  as  possible  ;  yet  such  is  the  nature  of  the  human 
mind,  that  with  all  its  inclinations  to  do  right,  it  is  under  that 
operation  which  in  some  degree  prevents  it." 

Every  body  present  submitted  to  the  justness  of  this  remark, 
and,  though  some  of  them  consisted  of  men  of  the  first  rank  for 
learning  and  abilities,  they  seemed  to  feel  the  force  of  this  ob- 
servation in  a  light  which  nothing  but  the  recent  cause  of  it 
could  so  powerfully  impress.  Indeed  it  may  be  said  that  Sir 
George  Saville  understood  the  character  of  his  contemporaries 
with  great  skill,  and  at  times  described  them  with  a  briefness 
and  perspicuity  which  made  every  body  subscribe  to  their  cha- 
racteristical  fidelity. 

Of  Charles  Fox,  when  he  was  a  young  man,  he  predicted  the 
rising  greatness,  as  well  as  where  the  git  of  his  talents  rested  ; 
he  praised  him  "  for  his  readiness  at  finding  out  blots,  his  cele- 
rity in  hitting  the  bird's  eye  of  an  argument,"  and  his  general 
talents  for  opposition.  Hence  he  said,  others  may  have  more 
stock,  but  Fox  had  more  ready  money  about  him  than  any  of 
his  party. 

Of  Burke  he  said,  he  was  a  man  to  draw  admiration  on 
whatever  side  he  arranged,  or  almost  on  whatever  topic  he 
discussed.      • 


472  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1780. 

suffering  the  first  meeting  in  St.  George's  Fields 
to  pass  unnoticed,  which,  he  contended,  gave  en- 
couragement to  the  factious  and  unprincipled  to 
proceed  with  their  revolutionary  plans. 

The  King  listened  coolly  to  this  tirade,  and 
also  to  the  debate  which  divided  the  council,  on 
the  point  whether  it  was  or  was  not  lawful  for 
soldiers  to  fire  on  actual  rioters  previous  to  the 
reading  of  the  Riot  Act ;  but  when,  although  the 
opinion  seemed  to  be  carried  in  the  affirmative, 
none  of  the  ministers  seemed  willing  to  sign  an 
order  for  the  direction  of  the  military  officers,  his 
Majesty  desired  that  the  attorney-general,  Mr. 
Wedderburne,  should  be  called  in  to  give  his  opi- 
nion, which  he  did  in  the  affirmative,  adding,  in 
answer  to  a  question  from  the  King,  that  it  was 
his  decided  official  opinion.  His  Majesty  then 
with  cool  firmness  directed  that  an  order  to  that 
effect  should  be  drawn  up  for  the  guidance  of 
Lord  Amherst,  commander-in-chief,  to  which  he 
instantly  affixed  the  sign  manual ;  and  under  that 
order,  that  very  evening,  was  resistance  first  of- 
fered to  the  plundering  and  devastation  of  the 
mob  ;  indeed,  it  just  arrived  in  time  to  save  the 
Bank  and  Lombard-street  from  plunder ;  and  to 
the  King's  firmness  alone  was  the  City  of  London 
indebted  for  its  preservation  from  destruction.  It 
was  said  that  Lord  Bathurst,  president  of  the 
council,  and  Sir  Fletcher  Norton,  speaker  of  the 


1780.       HIS  COURT,  AND  FAMILY.        473 

House  of  Commons,  who  were  both  present,  on 
being  appealed  to  for  their .:  opinions,  declared 
that  "  a  soldier  was  not  less  a  citizen  because  he 
was  a  soldier;  and  consequently  that  he  might 
repel  force  by  force."  But  no  minister  would 
sign  the  order  for  the  purpose.  It  has  been  stated 
to  us  as  a  truth,  upon  which  we  can  rely,  that  the 
very  early  and  decided  part  which  the  King  took 
on  this  remarkable  occasion  arose  out  of  a  con- 
versation with  the  late  Mr.  De  Luc,  a  gentleman 
of  whose  sensible  suggestions  the  King  often 
availed  himself. 

Amongst  other  anecdotes  related  of  his  Ma- 
jesty's personal  conduct  upon  this  occasion,  it  is 
a  fact,  that  during  the  two  severest  nights  of  the 
riots,  he  sat  up  with  several  general  officers  in 
the  Queen's  riding-house,  from  whence  messen- 
gers were  constantly  dispatched  to  observe  the 
motions  of  the  mob.  In  a  short  period,  between 
three  and  four  thousand  troops  were  collected  in 
the  Queen's  Gardens  and  the  Park ;  but,  during 
the  first  night,  the  alarm  was  so  sudden  that  no 
straw  could  be  collected  for  the  troops  to  rest  on, 
and  no  sooner  was  this  made  known  to  the  King, 
than  he  went  through  the  ranks,  accompanied  by 
one  or  two  officers,  telling  the  poor  fellows  that 
his  crown  could  not  purchase  straw  that  night, 
but  they  might  depend  that  a  sufficient  quantity 
should  be  collected  in  the  morning ;  in  the  mean 


474  GEORGE  THE  THIRD,  1780. 

time  his  servants  should  try  to  make  them  amends 
with  an  allowance  of  wine,  spirits,  and  beer,  to 
render  them  as  comfortable  as  possible ;  adding, 
that  he  himself  would  keep  them  company  until 
the  morning.  The  anxious  Monarch  kept  his 
word,  either  walking  amongst  the  troops,  or  sit- 
ting in  the  riding-house,  which  was  considered 
as  head  quarters,  with  the  exception  of  short 
visits  to  the  Queen  and  family,  in  order  to  keep 
up  their  spirits.  So  determined  was  this  bene- 
volent Prince  to  guard  against  the  effusion  of 
blood,  that  when  he  was  informed  the  mob  were 
attempting  to  get  into  St.  James's  Palace  and 
into  the  Park,  he  strictly  forbade  the  soldiers  to 
fire,  directing  them  only  to  keep  the  crowd  off 
with  their  bayonets.  So  well  did  the  troops  un- 
derstand and  obey  this  order,  that  when  the  mob 
became  so  daring  as  to  take  hold  of  the  bayonets 
and  shake  them,  defying  the  soldiers  to  fire  or  to 
hurt  them,  not  a  drop  of  blood  was  spilt ;  and  it 
is  extremely  probable  that  this  forbearance  tend- 
ed much  to  prevent  the  mob  from  proceeding  to 
extremities,  as,  after  a  few  hours'  noise  and  riot- 
ing, they  drew  off  to  another  quarter,  without 
doing  any  damage,  and  certainly  with  an  increased 
loyalty  to  their  merciful  Sovereign,  even  in  the 
hour  of  riot  and  confusion. 

A  circumstance  which  happened  at  this  period 
marks  most  strongly  the  difference  of  conduct  in 


1780.  HIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILY.  475 

a  party  man,  when  acting  as  a  plain  Englishman, 
or  as  a  politician.     During  the  riots,   for  three 
nights,  Mr.  Fox  was  one  of  the  party  that  sat  up 
armed,  at  the  Marquis  of  Rockingham's  ;  nay  he 
even  interfered  personally  and  collared  one  of  the 
rioters,  whom  he  carried  prisoner  to  Grosvenor- 
square ;  yet,  when  the  business  was  under  the 
consideration  of  parliament,  he  appeared  to  take 
no  active  part,  even  when  pressed  to  lend  some 
support  to  the  administration,  and  to  co-operate 
with  them  for  the  extrication  of  the  capital  from 
the  danger  which  threatened  it.     On  account  of 
this,  he  certainly  encountered  much  obloquy  from 
the  opposite  party ;  but,  to  judge  liberally,  we 
may  suppose  that  as  long  as  Mr.  Fox  considered 
the  means  adopted  by  ministers  fully  sufficient  for 
security,  so  long  he  judged  it  proper  to  keep  aloof 
from  any  personal  connexion  with  them,  though 
he  would  not  have  shrunk  even  from  co-operation 
with  his  political  opponents,   had  such  a  tempo- 
rary coalition  been  necessary  for  the  good  of  the 
country.     Had  Mr.  Fox  been   in   power  when 
these  riots,  and  even  more  important  subsequent 
events,  took  place,  it  may  be  a  question  whether 
he  would  not  have  been  as  constitutional  a  mini- 
ster, and  as  much  of  a  Pittite  or  a  Tory,  as  any 
who  ever  held  the  helm  of  state. 

The  people  of  Southwark  had  the  good  sense 
and  gratitude  to  appreciate  the  King's  spirited 


476  GEORGE    THE    THIRD,  1780. 

interference  on  this  occasion ;  and  presented  an 
address  on  the  13th  of  June,  thanking  him  for  his 
seasonable  interposition  by  sending  a  military- 
force  to  their  relief;  but  Judge  Gould  appears  to 
have  viewed  the  affair  in  a  very  different  light ; 
for  when  his  Majesty  sent  a  message,  during  the 
height  of  the  riots,  to  each  of  the  twelve  judges, 
offering  them  the  protection  of  the  military,  that 
learned  gentleman  returned  for  answer,  that  he 
had  grown  old  under  the  protection  of  the  English 
laws  ;  that  he  was  persuaded,  however  some  per- 
sons might  be  misled,  the  people  in  general  loved 
and  respected  the  laws  ;  and  so  great  was  his  at- 
tachment to  them,  that  he  would  rather  die  under 
those,  than  live  under  the  protection  of  any 
other  laws. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  the  anniversary  of 
the  coronation,  the  Queen  was  safely  delivered 
of  a  prince,  at  Windsor,  who  was  baptised  "Al- 
fred," on  the  2nd  of  November,  at  St.  James's  ; 
the  two  eldest  Princes  and  the  Princess  Royal 
performing  the  part  of  sponsors  to  the  young 
Christian. 

The  royal  attention  now  was  much  engaged  by 
the  first  developement  of  the  plan  for  Sunday- 
schools  ;  and  when  Mr.  Raikes  of  Gloucester  was 
shortly  afterwards  at  Windsor,  where  some  of  his 
relatives  resided,  his  arrival  was  no  sooner  known 
than  the  Queen  sent   for  him  to  the  Lodge,  and 


1780.  MIS    COURT,    AND    FAMILT.  477 

expressed    a   strong    desire  to  know    by    what 
accident  a  plan,  which  promised  so  much  benefit 
to  the   lower  orders,  was  first  suggested   to  his 
mind.     Mr.   Raikes   instantly  proceeded  to  ex- 
plain his  whole  system,  and  was  honoured  with 
an   audience    an    hour    long,    after  which    the 
Queen  most  graciously  observed,  that  she  envied 
those  who  had    the   power    of   doing    good    by 
thus    personally    promoting    the  welfare  of   so- 
ciety, in  giving   instruction  and  morality   to  the 
general  mass  of  the  common  people ;  a  pleasure 
from  which,  by  her  station,  she  was  debarred. 
Let  those  who,  to  gratify  ignorance   or  spleen, 
have   often   spoke    ill  of    this    amiable    woman, 
reflect  on  this ;  and  let  them  recollect,  that  the 
conduct  of  a  queen,  even  when  thoroughly  known 
in  all  its  bearings,  is  not  to  be  tried  and  con- 
demned by  the  laws  which  are  permitted  to  regu- 
late village  gossip,  and  to  sacrifice  the  reputations 
of  the  good  and    the    virtuous   in   the  humbler 
though  still  highly  respectable  classes  of  general 
society.     Even  if  her  Majesty  had   merely  thus 
given  her  sanction  to  the  benevolent  plan,    she 
would  have  done  much  :  but  she  did  more  ;  and 
she  was  throughout   life  always   an   active   en- 
courager  of  the  various  institutions  in  the  vicinity 
of  Windsor,    for  the  amelioration  of  the  lower 
classes. 

END    OF    VOL.    I. 


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